500 Days of Summer (2009)

One of my good friends recommend this to me a while back and now, after watching this movie for maybe the 6th time, I decided it was time to sit down and review it. One of my personal favorite movies of all time as it not only clever but also incredibly relatable. The movie centers around Tom, played wonderfully by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, a hopeless romantic who is caught off guard when his girlfriend, Summer, suddenly dumps him. He reflects on what went wrong in their 500 days together and, by doing so, rediscovers his passions in life.

The cinematography, to begin with, is best said as unique. The film loves using techniques not commonly seen on screen. The expectation versus reality scene is a perfect example of this as it demonstrates Tom's idea of what will happen adjacent to what actually happens. The film also uses a 4:3 ratio at times which I also enjoy as it lets you know the thoughts of Tom and the people around him. The timeline of this movie is the only of its kind as it does not run chronologically and transitions work to show what has happened and what will happen. I'd attribute this movie's great theme to not only its cinematography but largely to its fantastic editing as well.

The movie's pacing and theme are also incredibly well done as the humor matches incredibly well with the situation. One of the funniest scenes I've ever seen in cinema exists in this film. The movie's timeline allows this to happen as it can then juxtapose Tom at his best and then at his worst.

Both Levitt and Deschanel are perfectly cast in their roles. What's so interesting about rewatching this movie is you can watch it from either perspective. The first time you might watch this movie you would probably see it from Tom's perspective. The second time, maybe you watch it from Summer's. I know the first few times I watched it I only saw it through Tom's perspective.

500 Days of Summer reminds me of another film starring Levitt called Don Jon were much like Tom, Jon has preconceived ideas of what love is supposed to look like and be. The ultimate realization that the real thing is far different than the idea leads both characters to find a true shot at romance.  When Tom talks about what he loves about Summer, it is all superficial things or things that make him feel good. When Summer opens up about herself all he thinks is how he's achieved this and how no one else has.

The movie begins by immediately establishing that this is not a love story but a film about love. This theme is constant as it displays the inaccuracies shown in almost every single rom-com. The tendency to expect things such as love at first sight, the one, and romantic fate are all masterfully subverted. In the end, Tom doesn't get the girl but instead finds himself. The subversion in this movie is so well done as it takes the biased perspective of Tom. We are shown Summer through his eyes not objectively, thus she is shown akin to a manic pixie dream girl. Yet the movie shows why this idealized version if false as Tom finally comes to grapple with this fact by the end. It isn't Summer who makes him strive to become better but ultimately himself as he chooses to become an architect. This movie marked the end of the stereotypical man meets girl story and instead brings in a fresh take. 500 Days of Summer shows love with all of its flaws and blemishes and not the saturated pristine version shown in almost every rom-com. I give this movie a 8 out of 10 for its willingness to subvert the genre, great acting, a fantastic script and might leave viewers with a new outlook on what love even is. If you haven't already, you should watch this movie.
- GL

8 / 10


 (Above) My Favourite Shot:

(Below) Runners-up:




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Midsommar (2019)

Image
Ari Aster's 2019 Swedish cult movie started with a bang, drawing me in immediately. The first scene is gripping and haunting, as the camera slowly pans up and enters the carbon monoxide filled house. In an effort to dart around spoilers, I'll stop here and encourage readers to first watch the movie but needless to say Midsommar begins perfectly, setting the tone and theme that will dictate what the rest of the movie will be like. But then, the movie slowly falls from its interesting premise and into its surrealist abyss. The plot runs as follows: Dani (Pugh) and Christian (Reynor) are a young American couple with a relationship on the brink of falling apart. But after a family tragedy keeps them together, a grieving Dani invites herself to join Christian and his friends on a trip to a once-in-a-lifetime midsummer festival in a remote Swedish village. What begins as a carefree summer holiday in a land of eternal sunlight takes a sinister turn when the insular villagers invite t...
Read More >>

If.... (1968)

Image
Lindsay Anderson's 1968 counter-culture movie, If.... ,  is best described as messy and angry. Anderson's critique of British culture is incredibly clear. The movie's plot runs as follows: Teenage rebel Mick Travis (Malcolm McDowell) returns to his upper-crust English public school, caught between the sadistic older boys known as the Whips and the first-year students, known as Scum, who are forced to do their bidding. The petty thefts and anti-social behavior of Travis and his two henchmen, Johnny (David Wood) and Wallace (Richard Warwick), soon attract the attention of both the Whips and the school's out-of-touch administration and lead to an unexpected showdown. There's a lot to like and dislike about If...., so I'll start with what I thought was executed perfectly. McDowell's debut performance as Mick Travis is perfect, from the minute we meet Mick we see the mischieve behind his eyes. Dressed in all black, a whip calls him Guy Fawkes. McDowell helpe...
Read More >>

Good Time (2017)

Image
I love this movie, not only is this neon-drenched movie a masterclass in the crime thriller genre, but it's certainly a testament to Robert Pattinson's versatile acting. Brilliantly directed by the Safdie Brother, the movie not only immerses the audience but also poses some thought-provoking questions regarding the United States' judicial system and the white privilege that comes with it. The plot runs as follows: A bank robber, Connie, (Pattinson) stops at nothing to free his mentally ill brother, Nick, (Ben Safdie) from prison after a bank job goes wrong. Connie launches himself into a nightlong odyssey through New York's dark and dangerous criminal underworld. For starters, Robert Pattinson is amazing. First time I watched this movie I barely recognized him. He captures the role fully, his eyes constantly darting and his body rigid and tense at all times. He brings the character of Connie to full front, embodying this antihero to the fullest. Not at one moment d...
Read More >>