Rating: MMMM

Review of sunny, seasonal romantic-comedy, (500) Days of Summer, starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt (‘3rd Rock From The Sun’) and Zooey Deschanel.

Director: Marc Webb
Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Zooey Deschanel, Clark Gregg
Running time: 95 mins

From its breezy, whimsical and original opening titles to its warm-hearted closing moments, ‘anti-romantic comedy’ (500) Days of Summer succeeds in bringing something new to a stale and formulaic genre (see article) – that of the aforementioned rom-com.

Where (500) Days of Summer breaks away from its predecessors is that we are told from the very start that the boy-meets-girl relationship we are about to see is one that does not end with our hero and heroine living happily ever after together. Yet this does not hamper the film as a consequence. In fact, knowing this enhances and colours (for the better) our judgment of Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and Summer’s (Zooey Deschanel) relationship in each section of the narrative.

Like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind before it, (500) Days of Summer presents the trajectory of a couple’s relationship from start to finish out of chronological order, from day 1 to day 500 – the number

of which is presented by brief intertitles throughout the film – a technique which often makes for interesting and intriguing drama and does so very successfully here. And again, similar to Eternal Sunshine, the film is told from the man’s perspective, a plot device fundamentally crucial to the film’s premise but one which is fresh and original; one of the failings of contemporary rom-coms is that the overwhelming majority are based on female perspectives and hackneyed ones at that.

In terms of acting, the two leads are very good and always utterly convincing as the mostly endearing and sympathetic characters they portray. Joseph Gordon-Levitt in particular should be singled out for plaudits, as his co-star Zooey Deschanel seems to be merely displaying an amalgam of her assorted ‘kooky female’ roles in her performance as the eponymous Summer. Having said this, Deschanel maintains a balance between charming and aloof which at the climax of the film, seems to be a fair summation of Tom’s feelings for her. It may just be unfortunate that Deschanel keeps being offered this kind of alternative yet cute character – she is in real danger of being typecast.

Along with great acting and a fresh premise, where the film also charms is in its design (not that the film prioritises style over its substance) and tone. Where other films exert their American-ness, (500) Days of Summer has more of a European feel: Tom and Summer take a trip to Ikea, not Pottery Barn; Tom listens to melancholic British indie rock music; the movies that display Tom’s misery are burlesques on the films of the Nouvelle Vague.

(500) Days of Summer is a quirky, original and well written ‘anti’ romantic-comedy that ends on a warm high note despite the guy not getting his summery girl.

Rating: MMMM