500 Days of Summer

I haven't seen a romance this touching since I was the same type of single sad sack as depicted by the hero of (500) Days of Summer.

Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) has his radar up for "the girl of his dreams" when he meets Summer (Zooey Deschanel). Too bad for Tom Summer is stuck on friends-with-benefits mode. Let the tension begin.

Director Marc Webb captures the feeling of innocent, naïve love expertly. Anyone who has taken the lyrics of the Smiths too closely to heart, would be moved by the idea of the person they are crushing on sing to them: "To die by your side/is such a heavenly way to die." No wonder Tom soon falls head over heels for this girl.

As events unfold out of sequence, you know all along Tom has fallen for a time bomb of a woman, and he can't even see the countdown. When that bomb finally blows up in his face, it unfolds with powerful simplicity-- no exposition or dialog, just two juxtaposed events that capture the heartache of reality hitting a person who sees a person through the filter of deep-seated emotions that were planted at too young an age.

So many romantic films nowadays concern themselves with cute ideas; take 'He's Just Not That Into You' or 'Serendipity' for example. Even movies like 'Knocked Up' where a pot-smoking, video-gaming, narcissistic slob tries to turn his life around to try to be a father feels more contrived than real. These movies forget about human feelings.

Who cares about stock or cartoonish characters in love. The couple in (500) Days of Summer have true chemistry. There are some beautiful, subtle moments of tenderness as well as some heart- rending moments of disconnectedness between the two that never comes across as heavy-handed. The movie constantly reminds you that these are two different people with different ideas of a relationship, yet they stubbornly continue dating, and they remain lovable all the same.

An omniscient narrator sets the film up early on by noting "this is not a love story." And, in a way, it isn't. It's a story about feelings. It just so happens (500) Days of Summer captures the sensation of falling in love better than most movies.

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Who is Mark Webb? Anyone? Anyone? It is an astonishing piece of work for a first time feature film director. He counts with a beautifully crafted screenplay and two sensational leading performances and that's where the success of this comedy resides. Jodseph Gordon Levitt and Zooey Deschanel are two startling originals with a winning screen presence and a brain, yes, a brain. I was involved in their peculiar relationship because there isn't a hint of shallowness in their back and fourth. I believe it, completely, and when you sit in the dark and believe what you see on the screen, things are going to happen to you the way that happened to me. It is again a confirmation that treating your audience with respect will pay off somewhere along the line. I love Zooey Deschanel, she reminds me of some my favorites of the past without looking or sounding like anybody else. And Joseph Gordon Levitt, well, this young man is something else. He projects a humanity that doesn't need to be embellished. It's just there for us to dive into. Marvelous actor, marvelous performance, marvelous film. I'm so thrilled to be able to say that.

Everyone loves summer. It's a time for friends, family, and fun. Ballgames, barbecues, amusement parks, and movies, summer is just a time to sit back, relax and enjoy. Enjoy time off, good weather and whatever else it might bring. Am I missing something? Oh yes, love. Summer is a time for love.

The film can be pretty much summed up in one of the first lines of the film. "This is a story of boy meets girl. But you should know up front, this is not a love story." But is it? 500 Days of Summer is not your typical romantic film. There's something to it, something more than your usual romantic comedy. Maybe it's the style it's done? Maybe it's the realistic nature? Maybe it's the wonderful music? Maybe its the beautiful cinematography? Maybe, its Tom and Summer...

Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel are the leads, Tom and Summer. These are real everyday people. Tom, a believer in true love. Summer, a doubter. Which reminds me of one particular scene where Summer questions Tom about believing in love. Tom replies, "It's love, it's not Santa Claus." It is a real thing, a crazy little thing called love. Tom falls in love with Summer from the start. She doesn't. Tom is like every other guy, and every guy knows of a girl like Summer. The girl they want, but can't have. They try, to no avail. It's frustrating, and Tom is frustrated. He's happy then sad. He doesn't know what to think. Gordon-Levitt and Deschanel have great chemistry together and give solid performances. You really believe their relationship and hardships. It makes you notice the little things in relationships. The film highlights two young stars on the rise. With some great performances lately for Joseph Gordon-Levitt, his stock is rising... dare I say an up and coming Heath Ledger?

The story is not in direct order as it goes back and forth from different days Tom remembers his life and relationship with Summer. When remembering, we may not remember every detail in order. We choose what we want to remember. May that be the good, or the bad. For Tom, it's a little bit of both. Big props to the editing department. The film shows the good and the bad of love, relationships, and life. There's something about it that sets it apart from the usual romantic comedy.

500 Days of Summer is really refreshing now a days. It's funny, unique, and true to life. It's got something for everybody to like. Director Marc Webb shines in his feature film debut. I'm interested to see where he goes from here. 500 Days of Summer has quickly become a late summer highlight for me and surprisingly so at that.

Bruh. SO many of the reviews are just "wahhh all women are lying TRASH!! >:(" Y'all are obviously missing the point. The point is that this is REAL. I don't know why people are saying she's a liar when she isn't. She's very upfront about what she wants because that's genuinely what she thought. But then things escalated. That's how it works sometimes. Just because we think we want something doesn't mean it'll work out that way. And people get caught up. And by the time she was too far in she realized it was too late and he was in love. That doesn't make her a liar, it makes her human. Summer could've handled it better. Hanson could've also handled it better. He knew her intentions going in, but he got caught up. Just like the rest of us. It happens. There's no villain here, just human beings. If you're just gonna watch this movie and cry about how all women are evil because you're a pathetic excuse of a human, then please exit. This movie is heartbreaking, but also a good lesson. It may not be for everyone and that's ok, but no need to blame an entire gender for something a fictional character did (even though she didn't? Still confused where the "she's a liar" thing came in...). Watch this if you've ever gotten carried away with love, and hopefully you see the beauty :)

A light and realistic approach to an unhealthy relationship between two young people, each with their own frustrations, expectations and difficulties in communicating honestly with their partner.

Don't expect much comedy, nor much romance or wise messages, which, apart from the narrator, seem to be exclusive to women in this film. Even an 11-year-old girl is smarter than any man, which seems to be forced for comedy purposes.

Still, there is a very good message that the film addresses more than once: the importance of being honest with others and with ourselves.

Overall, it is a very enjoyable film to watch, with great music, innovative back-and-forth directing and nice colours / photography.