People inevitably bring their personal baggage to every movie they see. In it’s simplest form, film is entertainment. Pure escapism. And more often than not, our experiences remain separate from what we’re watching as we sit in the theater. Yet once in a while, a film breaks from the pack that makes you want to ask the filmmakers, “Did you make that movie for me?” Enter (500) Days of Summer.
I’ve never seen a film so finely reflect some of my own personal experiences as (500) Days of Summer. As I strolled out of the theater, I couldn’t help but replay scenes from the film and compare them to experiences I’ve had. Amidst the stale material often churned out by Hollywood, it must be a struggle to successfully craft an honest tale of romance. Yet somehow, the filmmakers behind (500) Days of Summer have done just that. Perhaps the unseen narrator explains it best near the start of the film, “This is not a love story. This is a story about love.”
(500) Days of Summer lives and triumphs in large part to it’s two leads, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel. As “Tom” and “Summer” respectively, the two share chemistry that is atypical of traditional movie love, but much more akin to the real world. I believed them as a couple. Even though the film is told exclusively from Tom’s point of view, Deschanel is still able to create a real, fleshed out character. Actually, she is really playing Tom’s idealized view of Summer, which may be more difficult than playing the real thing.
First-time director Marc Webb does a fantastic job supplying the honest and real screenplay with some brilliant visuals. One sequence featuring a split-screen comparison between Tom’s “expectations” and “reality” is among the most realistic and sincere moments I’ve seen in recent movie memory. In addition, the non-linear structure worked especially well to capture the sometimes schizophrenic nature of relationships.
One of the most arresting aspects of (500) Days of Summer is its setting. The story is set in LA, yet everything about it felt east coast. The filmmakers went out of their way to avoid the cliches associated with “Hollywood” and made Los Angeles into the beautiful and fascinating city I sometimes wish it could be.
As wonderful as the film was, there were minor flaws. The tone sometimes reached too far for the cliched odd-ball indie feel. Specifically, the little sister of Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s character seemed like a forced effort to be quirky. Also, there were brief moments during the second act of the film where I felt less connected to the characters. However, this thankfully changed as the story unfolded.
My opinion of (500) Days of Summer is uncontrollably biased. Prior to the screening, I was looking forward to the movie, but had no idea how emotionally invested and relatable I would find the characters and their story. During much of the film, I WAS Tom. I was caught off guard, as the film forced me to revisit and relive emotions that I had put away for some time. Obviously, I had a personal response to (500) Days of Summer that is unique to me. I wouldn’t be surprised if other people didn’t share my enthusiasm for the film, but that’s understandable. But combining how I connected with the film along with it’s awesome cast, writing, and directing, I have no doubt that this will be high on my end of the year list. Summer may deny her belief of love in the beginning of the film, but I have no problem exclaiming that I loved this movie.
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