(500) Days of Summer

I will start this off by posing a question to anyone reading.  Why do so many people love this movie?  

Is it the actors in the film?  Is Joseph Gordon-Levitt that talented?  Is Zooey Deschanel really that beautiful?  Is Mark Webb really that talented of a director?  Can everyone really relate to the film in some way?  

The answer to all of these questions is a resounding "YES!"

I must admit I was very skeptical going into my first viewing of the film.  Being a product of a recent ugly breakup which lasted about a quarter of my life...this film seemed unapproachable to me.  However, a friend recommended it and I simply couldn't ignore it any longer.  

The first and most important part of this film is the story.  No matter how badly we try to avoid or deny it...we all have fallen for someone that we simply do not have a future with.  Even after being told directly about this lack of possibility for advancement, we stick with it.  We dream about that person, spend as much time as possible with them, and hope that somehow we will figure out the key to their heart.  Going into this film, we are told by the narrator that this film "is not a love story", however I beg to differ on that comment.  I argue that it is a love story...but that's because to me, not all love stories have a happy ending.  So without ruining the film anymore than the trailer, or my review already has...I will say that this film is the classic boy meets girl, boy falls for girl, and finally boy gets crushed by girl.  However it is so much more than that, and without watching the film you may never know why this is one of the best films I have ever seen.

Zooey Deschanel is one of the main reasons everyone falls in love with this film.  She is beautiful, talented, and did I mention...beautiful?  Who wouldn't fall for her?  That is where our friend Joseph Gordon-Levitt comes into play.  He is a very palatable character.  Almost every person can associate themselves with him.  Being in a job we don't like, searching for love, and all along getting completely absorbed in relationships that have no real future.  While the film does bring both characters apart...I can't help but feeling how great the characters work together.  You will seldom see an onscreen couple look more attractive than these two.  They are a very attractive couple and this helps to make you really buy into their chemistry.  Many people have said that these two actors belong in a different time, and I completely agree.  They possess many of the qualities that our modern cinema has lost.  Before I go on any more of a tangent about how amazing they are...it's time for my last two favorite aspects of the film.

Expections vs. Reality

If you don't know what I am refering too...then you obviously have not seen the film yet.  That's okay...there is still time.  I actually bought the film today for $13 at Walmart...and there were a few copies left, so stop reading and go run! Grab this Film!  I'm kind of kidding...but seriously.  Let me explain before you think I am just wasting your time.  There is this amazing scene in the film (which Mark Webb directs amazingly I might add) where Joseph Gordon-Levitt's character (Tom) and Zooey Deschane's character (Summer) meet up again after being broken up for a decent amount of time.  She invites him to a party and it seems as if they are getting back on track...maybe there is a happy ending for this film after all.  It's only after she invites him to the party at her place do we see what is really going on.  Tom goes through a side by side view of what is actually happening and what he expected to happen.  While he wished she would take him back into her life and they would be together again, we see that the reality of the situation is that the party is for her engagement to be married.  I don't think it can be explained as well as it can be viewed in the film...so please do yourself a favor and pick up this gem...A.S.A.P.!

Before I leave, I have to say one more thing about this film.  It has one of the best soundtracks I have ever heard.  The Smiths, The Temper Trap, Regina Spektor, Hall and Oates, and even some original music from Zooey and Joseph.  It's perfectly synchronized with the scenes in the film.  I will never look at music in a film the same after watching this, it was simply amazing.  

While I don't want to give away the ending...I want to tell anyone reading this one thing...even the worst experiences and the toughest times of our life have some value.  Find it...it's there, learn from it, and move on!

Until next time...