Quick-fire movie review: (500) days of Summer

This review is long overdue to say the least - I saw (500) Days of Summer before I went to Canada for my cousin's wedding in mid-August... but it's the kind of film that was so good, I feel obliged to review it, even if it has been a while. Since time has elapsed, I'm going to focus on the parts of this film that have stayed with me for over a month, not only telling you why it was good, but why it was memorable.

Honestly, this is probably one of the best films of the year, which I say knowing that the "movie season" (which in my mind leads up to the Oscars in February) is only about half over. It was enjoyable, well-crafted, thoughtful, intelligent, well-acted, cinematically creative, funny, sweet... I could list adjectives for another paragraph. The premise is simple, as the poster says: "This is not a love story, This is a story about love." In other words, as per the beginning of the film itself, "This is a story of boy meets girl, but you should know up front, this is not a love story."

(500) Days of Summer takes everything you think you know about the rom com/chick flick/girly film and turns it on its head. It is from the boys perspective. Depending on how you look at it, it doesn't necessarily have a "happy" ending. It is optimistic and at the same time, completely realistic. I saw it with an extremely diverse group of people - male, female, different ages and preferences - and everyone liked it. How many times can you say that, honestly?

A few moments from the film stand out vividly in my mind, and perhaps, by describing these and the effect they had on me, I will be able to communicate this film's beauty and power. Of course, if you haven't seen it and don't want to know any of this before you do see it, feel free to stop reading any time.

Moment #1:

"She only loved two things. The first was her long dark hair. The second was how easily she could cut it off and feel nothing."

First of all, I love this writing. But even more than that, this simple line illustrates the power of characterization that these filmmakers have. A few sentences of narration, right from the beginning, of odd anecdotal information, and we know exactly who we're dealing with. Furthermore, this line shows one thing I found very unique and powerful about the film, the characterization of "the girl" - Summer. This is not a typical chick flick chick. She does not melt at the sight of her soulmate, but RUNS from commitment. Sound familiar? I'm only describing every guy to ever grace the silver screen in a romantic comedy. The role reversal was one of this film's most powerful weapons, and quite frankly, it was refreshing.

Moment #2:

Expectations versus Reality

A very important sequence in the film is when our main character is invited to Summer's house for a party after not seeing her for some time. In filming the time leading up and through the party, the camera changes to a split-screen, marked on one side "Expectations" and the other "Reality." Before our very eyes, two scenes are acted out simultaneously, the way that Tom hopes things will go with Summer (Hint: she's thrilled to see him and shows it) and the way things actually go (Not the same). Wow. I mean, I've never seen such purely psychological filmmaking. It might sound odd, but even though it's only in this one scene, the technique totally works. It grabs our attention. It shows us what we do with our own minds. Just wow.

Moment #3:

"I'm the hero of this story, I don't need to be saved!"

This line comes from one of the songs on the film's soundtrack, "Hero," by Regina Spektor (who's voice I am COMPLETELY in love with). Usually, I don't like songs that are on a film's soundtrack. I am enamored with musical scores, but unless the song is iconic (in which case it's usually overused), it just doesn't draw my attention. The (500) Days of Summer soundtrack is a completely different matter. Almost all of the songs were vaguely familiar, but not well-known. They fit my mood, my personality, and most importantly, the scene they were placed in. After downloading it, a few songs in particular have caught my fancy, most notably the two by Spektor, one by Feist (of 1234/Apple ad fame), and haunting melody by France first lady Carla Bruni. The line I quoted comes from my favorite song, and in so many ways, summarizes what this film is about. As I've already said, this movie turns Hollywood on its head. Boy meets girl, but girl and boy don't make it together. The story doesn't end at "love at first sight." Gah, I just love the lyric and everything it represents.

Moment #4:

(MAJOR SPOILER)

Autumn

A great movie needs a great ending, and boy did this one deliver. If you know the film, you know what I'm talking about, the moment where it all pays off: Autumn, a quirky, unexpected and yet *perfect* way to finish. I don't have much to say about this, but to pay homage to it. These filmmakers sure know what they're doing.