Shuffling down a quiet street, Tom and Paul are engaged in conversation. “I don’t know man, I think it’s official. I’m in love with Summer,” Tom says. Hopeful, he walks out of the camera leaving Paul on the street, a knowing look growing on his face. Wavering on the sidewalk, he nods his head slightly to himself and says the words we already know, “This is not good.”
Released in 2009 by Fox Searchlight Pictures, but originally an independent film, (500) Days of Summer is in rare form. The film is not stuck in happily-ever-after land, it has evolved, as many indie films do. The story involves two characters who spark up a relationship, but as an uncommon spin on the classic boy-meets-girl tale, the boy falls hard and the girl is unscathed.
Men in different circles all have one saying that immediately evokes an emotional memory: The one that got away. Tom Hansen (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is no different. From the first ten minutes of the film, it is revealed to us that Tom is suffering from heartache that stems all from one source. Enter Summer Finn (Zooey Deschanel). Summer is the free-spirited new assistant at the greeting card company where Tom works, despite having gone to school for architecture. The narrator makes it clear that Summer was just like any other girl; except she wasn’t. People were drawn to her, and Tom was no different. From there, the film takes off into Tom’s memory; a day-by-day recollection of his off-beat relationship with Summer.
The film, directed by famed music video director Marc Webb, is shot using a nonlinear narrative, evoking Quentin Tarentino. That is where the similarities between Kill Bill and (500) Days of Summer end. Presumably because of this, the movie itself is reminiscent of a music video; colorful, split-screen at places, and lively, as if there were only a few minutes to tell the story. It boldly switches back and forth between points in time. At certain moments, it is a light-hearted mockery of itself, engaging the audience in a series of scenes that are less likely to happen in real life and more likely to be a vivid inclusion of a wild imagination, like Tom’s dance routine in the middle of the park with choreographed strangers. However, moments like these are what make (500) Days of Summer such a joy to watch.
Unlike romantic dramadeys where we are watching the protagonist do ridiculous things for reasons unknown to us, we know Tom. We see his imagination, we know his best friends, and we know his relationship with Summer; we have been there since the end, flung to the beginning and back again. We get the sense that we are seeing a real relationship unfold, suggestive of a relationship any of us could have. Like a real relationship, someone always gives and takes more than the other. This isn’t your typical love story; it happens to be believable.
Despite all this, the movie still manages to be funny. Tom’s fluctuating emotions make for ample opportunities to throw in a light chuckle at some places, and at others a full laugh. A surprising vessel for humor was Tom’s precocious younger sister Rachel (Chloë Moretz), who Tom sought advice from throughout the film. This, the director and writer do very well, letting us watch Tom interact with his sister, and see his vulnerability and naivety, but also insert humor where it is appropriate. Moretz (Kick-Ass) has a cool sense of humor that channels Ellen Page (Juno).
Deschanel (Yes Man) and Gordon-Levitt (Inception) bring rise to a warming sense of charm and chemistry that flows throughout. Gordon-Levitt’s performance carries the film; he is Tom Hansen. The energy he applies to the role seems effortless. He is able to be cringingly awkward while also being humorous and establishing with the audience an air of likeability. Deschanel blossoms throughout the film, a key trait of her character, that leads the audience to believe that Summer really does have an unnamed allure, though at times she is painted as the villain.
At some points, you do get the feeling you are watching the privileged people complain about not having opportunities, but it is forgiven as it is a part of finding themselves. The film is original in the sense that it doesn’t leave the viewers with the impression that they have just wasted two hours watching a romance with no substance, not in the sense that it hasn’t been done before. Coupled with an indie-rock/pop soundtrack ordained for the film, ranging from Regina Spektor to The Smiths, the ambience in each scene seems just right. Overall, the people who will most enjoy the film will be the young, witty, romantics, because though this isn’t a Cinderella story, it still offers a sense of hope that makes it worth watching.
I definitely suggest checking it out.
Movie Suggestion: Brick (2005)
If you can't get enough Joseph Gordon-Levitt and independent films, check out Brick, about a teenager who is trying to discover the mystery behind his ex-girlfriend's disappearance. It's available on DVD and for streaming on Netflix!
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