Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Review: 500 Days of Summer

I think the object of 500 Days of Summer was to present a relationship-gone-wrong where the average viewer can see both sides of the story and maybe, just maybe, walk out understanding a little bit more about the opposite sex.

Not this guy. It’s a testament to the writer and actors that, by the time the credits rolled, I hated all women.

Okay, not really. But I was impressed with how well the film portrayed a breakup to the point where what is happening onscreen and being said by the characters will likely hit way too close to home for anyone who has ever been in a relationship.

Despite the less than upbeat subject matter, 500 Days of Summer manages to offer plenty of laughs and, more importantly, hope.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt once again solidifies his place in my mind as the best young actor of our time and Zooey Deschanel is deliciously unique and cute as all hell.

The plot jumps about, using the days of the main characters’ relationship to keep things in perspective, and this method works extremely well. The constant contrast allows 500 Days of Summer to move in a steady series of valleys and peaks rather than a typical bell curve, giving a more interesting perspective to events (courting, embarrassing first date, fuzzy feelings, broken heat) you’ve seen a million times before.

With a whimsical narrator helping move things along something like a fairytale and interesting uses of animation, 500 Days of Summer amounts to a wonderful, fresh take on love and loss.

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