(500) Days of Summer (2009)

(500) Days of Summer, 2009. Film. Directed by Marc WEBB.
USA: Fox Searchlight Pictures

(500) Days of Summer is a romantic comedy with a difference. It turns the entire genre around and shows you the reality of love. Things don’t always work out. People get hurt. The film tells the story of a greetings card designer called Tom and how he falls in love with his boss’s assistant, Summer, who does not believe in true love. Whilst the story seems to be very basic, the structure is what makes this film really interesting. It exemplifies the ups and down’s in relationships which is something many romantic comedies fail to illustrate.

The film has an alternative narrative that works in the way our brains would when we are trying to go over events in our heads, the days become muddled and unorganised. This may be annoying to some people as there is no chronological order to the 500 days however it shows us how Tom remembers Summer; the good times and the bad times. We are seeing the story as Tom wants to believe it. Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is not your average male protagonist; he’s interested in architecture, visits museums and truly appreciates the beauty of life. This loveable and believable character is strong enough to believe in true love but vulnerable enough to get hurt. Summer (Zooey Deschanel) is not your average female protagonist.  She truly likes Tom for who he is but she isn’t ready for a committed relationship. She’s smart, fun and very loveable but Tom can’t have her. (500) Days of Summer reflects upon common human weaknesses: building our expectations too high and only remembering the good things, but it achieves it in a comforting way that won’t depress you, it just makes it relatable and suitable for anybody. Summer remains a mysterious character throughout the film and we follow Tom’s expectations hoping that maybe she’ll give in. But this is a film that breaks all the Hollywood rules. She doesn’t have to give in. Anything could happen.

Director Marc Webb does an excellent job in finding charming comedy in real life situations to illustrate Tom’s struggle to accept reality. He also uses influences from other films in a playful way to tell the story such as a little black and white sequence and an unexpected musical number. This film really is a breath of fresh air and I cannot discuss it in too much detail without spoiling it but what I must say is that Webb manages to combine pleasure and sorrow flawlessly throughout the film including in a fantastic sequence when the screen is divided to compare Tom’s expectations and reality.

This is a rare romantic comedy where you can’t ever be sure about how it will end. Literally anything could happen and this is simply the story of Tom trying to come to terms with that. The characters are loveable, the themes are relatable and the soundtrack is perfect. In the opening sequence we are warned that this is not your typical love story and believe me when I say, it really wasn’t lying.

Recommend to: Anybody (Teens+)