500 Days of Summer

Since I won't be in Nashville until the 23rd, I am going to add some other fun artsy stuff to this blog. While at MTV, I was the Intern Film Critic (how silly does that sound?) and did some reviews for this summer's "hottest" flix.

Anyways, considering this movie is bad ass and summer is almost over (whaaaaaat), check out the film review I wrote. If you don't want to read it, at least watch this movie. It's awesome. What else will you be doing today? Exercising? Yeah, ok.

500 Days of Summer is definitely not your typical love story. And if you haven’t already realized this from the trailer, a narrator will tell you so in the film’s opening scene.

Just like any other rom-com, this self-righteous chick flick is filled with romance and comedy, but what makes it especially unique is the fact that there is also heartbreak and disappointment in the face of romantic fantasy. It shows us how love isn’t like the all the sappy movies we cling onto in our youth— sometimes love is unreciprocated and sometimes love can inevitably fail.

The film follows the story of Tom and Summer. Tom Hansen, played by indie cutie Joseph Gordon-Levitt, is true believer in love. When the adorably aloof Summer Finn (Zooey Deshanel) becomes a new assistant at the office where Toms works (which is, ironically enough, a Hallmark-like greeting card company), he falls head over heels for her. And he falls hard. But there is just one twist: the feelings aren’t entirely mutual.

The movie is structured in a non-chronological fashion, beginning with the tail end of their failing relationship and followed by random snapshots of their good and bad times together. The unsystematic movement of the storyline introduces a new dimension to the romantic comedy genre, fueling the audience with curiosity and also symbolically revealing how love can be messy and inexplicable.

The film begins with previews of the two characters’ unique childhood experiences: Tom grew up disillusioned by British emo/pop music while Summer grew up disillusioned by the failure of her parents’ crumbling marriage. Although these introductory bits are humorous, they also explain why both characters see the world so differently.

We see their diverging views of love at work during their first outing together at an office-coordinated karaoke night. In a tequila-drenched, whimsical voice Tom says, “Wait. What happens when you fall in love?” Summer retorts in a dry, disinterested voice, “Love. You don’t believe in that. Do you?” He quickly responds with a (predictable) comedic comeback: “What. It’s love, it's not Santa Claus.”

I guess that opposites (initially) attract because the two do make it happen. But as the story unfolds, we see how the two characters stay true to form. Inevitably, their personal perspectives of the world lead them towards their downfall. While Tom falls victim to his needy tendencies in the face of unrequited love, Summer is still able to look into his puppy eyes with a casual/cool, soul mate-are-for-suckers attitude and say things like “let’s just be friends” (Ouch?).

It makes sense that the relationship doesn’t last even though we all hope that this artsy duo can survive and live happily ever after. But in the end, that’s what makes the film honest and real.

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. Maybe I am biased, considering I fell completely in love with Tom Hansen. But if you don’t have the capacity of lusting over fictional characters, there are a few more reasons why you should still check it out. A) It was a breakout hit at Sundance. B) There are some really great scenes, including a happy-go-lucky dance sequence starring Mr. Levitt himself and another in which the couple plays fake house in a furniture store. And lastly, C), For all you music lovers, the soundtrack is pretty kick ass.

So, whether you are on a first date or just in the mood for a Sunday matinee with family and friends, 500 Days of Summer is definitely worth it. Whether we are hopeless romantics or raging cynics, we can all relate to the love in this film in our own fresh and special way.