(500) Days of Summer (12A)

Film

Comedy

Time Out rating:

User ratings:

Time Out says

Tue Sep 1 2009

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

Comments

Add +

Release details

Rated:

12A

UK release:

Fri Sep 4 2009

Duration:

95 mins

Cast and crew

Share your thoughts

Your rating
Name *
Email *
Comment *
* mandatory fields
Tick to receive relevant updates from Time Out including news, events, offers and competitions.

Comments & ratings

(22 ratings)

I'm surprised at all the negative comments. This is a well thought out, original and funny romantic comedy. Easy and enjoyable viewing about two very likeable people. I'd highly recommend it!

Mark Mon Jan 9 2012
Rated as: 5/5
Report
1. Name *
2. Email *
3. Reason *
Absolute Rubbish....director transform historical events georgia was agressor... not Russia.... See UN documents... FALSIFICATION...

denZol Mon May 30 2011
Report
1. Name *
2. Email *
3. Reason *
I watched this film and thought it was actually a good film until the end the ending is quite frank-illy rubbish it makes no sense but like the idea of autumn lol but is there another one going to come out called 500 days of autumn lol!!

hafsa Thu Apr 15 2010
Rated as: 2/5
Report
1. Name *
2. Email *
3. Reason *
A laundry list of, 'Hey that'd make a good scene in a Rom-Com, wouldnâ€™t it?' Mr. Fear was kind with his three star review, the whole thing being episodic and very much a retread of other better films. What is its own is thin & dressed up in indie-pop LP sleeve graphics. Zooey Deschanel gives a subtle performance almost pulling at you, like her in film non-boyfriend, to enjoy proceedings more than you really should whilst lacking any of Cameron Crowe or Judd Apatowâ€™s clarity for this kinda stuff.

irishgoatboy Mon Feb 8 2010
Rated as: 2/5
Report
1. Name *
2. Email *
3. Reason *
Great script and these two are truly electric together.

Dan Sat Feb 6 2010
Rated as: 4/5
Report
1. Name *
2. Email *
3. Reason *
Just watched this on BluRay after missing it at the cinema. What can I say but a HUGE disappointment. Contrived, twee but without real warmth or soul this is a very vacuous and odd film that just doesn't work. It tries hard to provide us a with an alternative view on relationships and a quirky script but it all comes across so strained that it's just boring and painful to sit through. It just doesn't work.

Justin Berkovi Thu Jan 21 2010
Report
1. Name *
2. Email *
3. Reason *
Usually I don't write comments on movies - but this piece of crap made me do it for the first time! Don't waste your time with it - sooo boring :-(

Douchebag Wed Jan 6 2010
Rated as: 1/5
Report
1. Name *
2. Email *
3. Reason *
this is the worst movie ever.

john Thu Nov 19 2009
Rated as: 1/5
Report
1. Name *
2. Email *
3. Reason *
LEVITT IS A GOOD ACTOR -he is a simple looking ordinary yank but he is a natural and he was credible as the confused lead who has no idea of what he wants though the movie is under-edited and over written at times -still it is worth watching -it could have been more sophisticated and concise too instead of going to and fro in the 500 days following the la vie en rose narrative -i hope this is not going to become a trend as it is neither original nor pleasant

usman khawaja Fri Oct 23 2009
Rated as: 3/5
Report
1. Name *
2. Email *
3. Reason *
TOTALLY BRILLIANT!!!!!!

Sara Mon Oct 19 2009
Report
1. Name *
2. Email *
3. Reason *

(500) Days of Summer (12A)

Time Out rating:

User ratings:

Time Out says

Release details

Rated:

UK release:

Duration:

Cast and crew

Director:

Music:

Cast:

Cinematography:

Comments & ratings

About us

Time Out products

Time Out London magazine

Advertising

Site map

Follow us