“500 Days Of Summer”
“You should know up front-” the omniscient narrator informs us “-this is not a love story.” Indeed it isn’t a wholly conventional one, more a one-sided perspective, told nostalgically but warmly absorbing because of it.
Tom (Joseph Gordon Levitt) meets Zooey Deschanel’s Summer at work and so begin their 500 days together, only we learn pretty quickly that nearly half of them are spent apart. Cleverly shifting from post-break-up to the heady days of early love through a quirky animated city scape (watch for the tree!) we are treated to as much of the deeply miserable break up as the delightful and joyous courtship.
It is in these early days the the film really spreads its wings, giving us cheeky IKEA shopping trips, surprising copy room kisses and sweet, sweet pillow talk. Throw in a humorous pastiche of European cinema, a clever split screen expectation/reality party moment and a whimsical stand out dance scene as Tom walks to walk after his first night with Summer and the makings of a cult quirky rom-com are set.
While some may grumble that Summer’s character isn’t given equal adoration, time and sympathy as greetings card writer Tom’s, told from his eyes the story’s maintains it’s heart. The geek may inherit the earth, but he’ll lose the girl perhaps along the way. There’s no better way to explore the loss of love than through the eyes of Smiths-loving male – just ask Nick Hornby- and Levitt Gordon excels in another charming role, while Deschanel brings a warmth to an otherwise possibly immature and naive character.
Whereas some recent rom-coms have become a little too quirky for their own good, (Eagle vs Shark) 500 Days manages to mingle a more conventional story with plenty of artistic merit, ending in a warm and fuzzy seasonal change. If all summers could be like this, I’m sure we’d all be moving to Australia!
