(500) Days of Summer

(500) Days of Summer

Directed by Marc Webb

Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Zooey Deschanel

What happens when a hopeless romantic falls in love with someone who doesn’t believe in true love? After a series of heartaches Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) isn’t sure that he’ll ever find the right woman. When Tom meets Summer (Zooey Deschanel) he thinks he’s finally found the one. He’s a romantic greeting card writer and she’s the new girl in the office. Although she plays hard to get they soon find themselves sharing life together. Despite the apparent bliss Tom is seeking something lasting and doesn’t see the need to look any further. Summer is not willing to commit to the idea that they’ve found their soul mates. In the end these two need to find out of they’ve got what it takes to make it.

This is an amazing film from director Marc Webb who’s known mainly for his music video work with Green Day and No Doubt. As he steps into the feature film world he succeeds on many levels. The film is visually appealing and has great dialogue. It takes an artsy approach that reminds me of Stranger Than Fiction. The writers Scott Neustadter and Michael Weber don’t have a deep resume but they received the Hollywood Breakthrough Award from the Hollywood Film Festival for this film.

In addition to Deschanel and Gordon-Levitt the film features Chloë Grace Moretz as Tom’s little sister. She plays the role of sister/psychiatrist amazingly well. Gordon-Levitt brings out the angst and turmoil and manages to do it without being annoying. Throughout the film he’s forced to run both ends of the emotional spectrum. Deschanel is also great in this movie. She plays an indecisive woman on the verge of jumping in or running away. The pairing works great throughout the film.

Any criticism I might have comes from the rest of the cast. I feel like the remaining cast were simply adequate. They don’t take away from the film but I’m not sure that they made it any better. To some degree it feels like their characters were forced into the story out of necessity.

The film as a whole is amazing. I think that all the parts work well to form a clear message and an entertaining film. I rate this film at 3.9 out of 5 stars.

Rating: PG-13

Running Time: 95 minutes