Finding the perfect Valentine's Day movie for both the guy and the girl is no easy feat. A love story is an obvious, even obligatory, choice, but too mushy and the man is left annoyed and unsatisfied. Luckily for disgruntled boyfriends everywhere, a film exists that combines gorgeous cinematography and snappy dialogue, with just the right amount of sentiment and compassion thrown in, as well.\nAlthough it claims not to be a "love story," (500) Days of Summer is a wonderfully acted, coolly directed story about falling for someone and fate.
Meet Tom Hansen (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a man obsessed with the ideal of true love, convinced that his "soul mate" must exist. Summer Finn (Zooey Deschanel), on the other hand, likens the idea of love to fantasies and myths and fairytales. The story chronicles the 500 days during which Tom is in love with Summer, from the first meeting until their final parting.
Though perhaps an unexpected pairing, Gordon-Levitt and Deschanel have palpable chemistry. Gordon-Levitt saves Tom from seeming too pathetic as the more emotionally involved party in the relationship. His acting prowess helps the audience to truly empathize with his character with simply the look in his eyes, conveying the brutal emotional turmoil he goes through during the relationship. Deschanel's Summer is perfectly believable as the unassuming "villain," the beautiful yet commitment-phobic girl of Tom's dreams. The other members of the cast also carry their roles nicely, with a collection of supporting characters - Rachel (Chloe Moretz), McKenzie (Geoffrey Arend) and Paul (Matthew Gray Gubler) - that provide snappy one-liners and humorous subplots. At the end of the film, though, it is Gordon-Levitt and Deschanel's growing star-power and entertaining performances that carry the picture.
The director behind the faces of (500) Days of Summer soars, as well. Marc Webb, who is relatively unknown, gives an indie look to his first feature-length film. Colors pop with crisp lighting and the framing is unique and somewhat experimental. Co-writers Scott Neustadter and Michael Weber prove with Webb that first-timers can truly hit the mark. The script is thoughtful and smart, with the kind of naturalness that only can be seen in a semi-autobiographical story.
Of course, a film that delves into heartbreak would not be the best pick for a Valentine's Day date. But (500) Days of Summer takes both the good and a bad in a relationship and leaves the audience feeling surprisingly warm and fuzzy. With honesty, endearing characters and a beautiful, catchy soundtrack, (500) Days of Summer is the movie for which couples have been searching.
Read More
The best albums of 2014
By Noah Zeidman | December 4, 2014Across genres, it has been a pretty great year in music.
Top 10 movies of 2014
December 4, 2014This has been an excellent year for film, offering everything from gripping blockbusters to innovative personal films.
Iggy Azalea is “Reclassified”
December 4, 2014It has become common practice among music artists to repackage their albums in an effort to simultaneously boost single sales and dish out new content by slightly renaming the album or slapping “Deluxe” onto the title.
