500 Days Of Summer

Boy meets girl is the oldest premise in the world, but with 500 Days Of Summer, the device seems fresh and new. Using an unconventional time line, we examine the relationship of a young man, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and the love of his life, Zooey Deschanel. We are warned from the beginning, it does not end well.

By jumping back and forth throughout their romance, we are able to view the arc of their relationship and see how perceptions change, when looking back in hindsight. The timeline is precarious in this film, so you do need to pay attention. But the shifting pattern causes us to focus on details that we may have otherwise missed.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt is sympathetic and touching as Tom Hansen. We feel his pain and share in his joy. It is easy to see yourself in him. Zooey Deschanel, on the other hand, is an unusual girl, the kind you can easily fall in love with, and then be driven crazy by. But what I loved about this movie was the sound advice given to Tom by his sister and friends. They were the voices of reason in this romance that ended in its foreseeable train wreck.

My favorite advisor was Tom’s little sister Chloe, played by Rachel Hansen. This girl was a take-charge, no-nonsense, voice of wisdom, packaged in the body of a 12-year-old girl. I loved this character. His friends were also fun, played by Matthew Gray Gubler, and Geoffrey Armend, hardly romantic experts, but thoughtful enough to give him friendly warnings in advance.

This film is refreshing, intelligent, and a lot of fun. It’s the perfect date movie, but also good for anyone who has ever been in a relationship. I highly recommend this movie.

Rating: Must See Now this, is a romantic comedy!