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(500) Days of Summer (2009)

Director: Marc Webb

Time Out rating

Average user rating

19 reviews

Synopsis

A romantic drama with a real-world twist, as Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s young idealist optimistically woos the cynical, troubled Zooey Deschanel.

Movie review

From Time Out London

Where did it all go wrong? One minute you’re in love, the next it’s all over. In this rom-com-as-postmortem, greeting-card writer Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) tries to pinpoint the key moments in his ill-fated liaison with co-worker Summer (Zooey Deschanel), as the movie toggles hither and thither across individually numbered days in lieu of a familiar linear trajectory. When a stentorian omniscient voiceover announces that ‘this is not a love story’, it’s easy to figure we’re in for another dose of smugly hermetic US indie-cool, yet no matter how clever-clever Marc Webb’s film gets (and it does), it never overwhelms the subtle registration of this young man’s bitter yet enriching learning curve – it takes a broken heart to shatter our youthful illusions about love and prepare us for clear-eyed, grown-up romance.

Gordon-Levitt and Ms Deschanel are simply ideal as these bright young things: he always suggests that fires are burning beneath that deadpan wit and forbidding exterior, while she does the combination of pixie-ish Lorelei and withholding emotional sphinx to a tee. Their workplace affair is certainly believable, though perhaps the problem with Scott Neustader and Michael H Weber’s otherwise peppy script is that it relies on a shared nexus of pop culture references (The Smiths, perhaps inevitably) in lieu of individual chemistry, and flings in smart pastiche (Gallic art-movie torpor, a colourful Demy-esque dance number) when it might have delivered more authentic passion. So, if it just misses being this generation’s ‘Annie Hall’, it’s still deliciously refreshing, sweet and fizzy. A sherbet dip of a movie.

Author: Trevor Johnston 2009-09-01 10:12:08

Time Out London Issue 2037: 3 - 9 September, 2009

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User reviews of this film

_Matt_1977_ said...

Posted on Sep 03 2009 22:10 A well-executed, well-acted and all-round perfectly reasonable drama, this film presents a nice, even insightful portrayal of the two central characters. Ultimately, though, for me it was a bit of a non-event. Comedy when it did happen was effective, but it was only an occasional feature. The non-linear presentation was gimmicky and tiresome. In all honesty there were moments about half way through the film when I felt it was going nowhere, but it picked up a little momentum nearer the end (though still not much).
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I would like to register some disappointment at the description of this sort of offering as a romantic comedy or any sort of comedy for that matter. A fair few moments of genuine humour spread out over the course of a drama do not turn it into a comedy. This film is a drama with humour, not a comedy.

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Derrida said...

Posted on Sep 03 2009 08:13 I hope people will see this little gem of a film, it's nice to see Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel getting roles where they are allowed to be funny. Nicely paced throughout with a killer soundtrack. Doesn't overstay its welcome like the majority of films I've seen this year. Plus it's not as annoying as "Juno".

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Ian said...

Posted on Sep 02 2009 22:26 Just seen the film at a preview. It is funny, sad uplifitng and yet also at time soul destroying. The music is excellent. Not sure re Annie Hall but maybe this generations When Harry Met Sally. Agree the two leads are perfect for the roles. Well worth a visit.

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mary from inverurie said...

Posted on Sep 02 2009 17:34 What a waste of time this film was. At the end of the film you think 'why bother making this film' - nothing to remember it by and not much comedy in it either. Broken Embraces is excellent. Go and see it.

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