(500) Days of Summer - A movie review

This is a story of boy meets girl. But you should know up front, this is not a love story


What would you do if you were in a failed romance? Are you searching for something that would get you out of the unpleasant past? Then you must surely talk to Scott Neustadter, co-writer of this brilliant movie. The story is based on his true experiences with a girl in the London School of Economics. Ok now back to the review.

When was the last time that a romantic-comedy-drama movie really fleshed out characters as if they were just you and me. The so called romance movies usually have a story line, where a desperate or a loser kind of guy falls in love with an absolute beauty or probably where a guy is ditched by somebody and he meets this warm person and grows on eventually to love her. Add a bit of comedy and variations and you get a love story. My problem with these movies is that, though they are enjoyable, don't connect to the audience. The audience are not fools. We know the things portrayed on screen cannot happen.

(Before the breakup)
Tom:[Montage of Summer] I love her smile. I love her hair. I love her knees. I love how she licks her lips before she talks. I love her heart-shaped birthmark on her neck. I love it when she sleeps.

So where was I? Yeah now Tom played by Joseph Gordon Levitt falls for a girl Summer played by Zooey Deschanel. The story is presented in a non linear fashion for us. The narrator every now and then pops up with annotations. The movie starts reverse from the 500th day. The beginning of each day is highlighted in the movie. So Tom works in a greeting card company and Summer is the new assistant to his boss. During a party, his drunk friend blurts out to Summer that Tom has fallen for her. From the word go she makes it clear that she is not looking for a boy friend but she is ready to have all other things that comes with love :D(Seems hard to believe eh?). Tom obviously being a guy falls madly in love with her. The two date, go around as a couple, shout in parks, frolic around in each others houses. Tom and Summer really seem such a cute couple together. In spite of the different perspectives in which each of them views the relationship, Tom thinks she is the girl of his dreams and Summer believing that there's no such thing as true love, they carry on. We get to know that Tom is actually a talented architect who probably landed up in the wrong job. They have a breakup after watching the great Dustin Hoffman movie "The Graduate". Tom is unable to cope up with this and life goes on in a downward spiral. Summer drops in and out of his life and the scene they have towards the end of the movie is perhaps the defining moment. Tom has quit his job and he goes pursuing his dream. The last scene is perhaps the most memorable for me :-). He meets this really hot girl and when he later asks her name, she replies Hi, My name is Autumn and so the story continues.

I hope I haven't given too much of details into the movie's plot. Probably not the best reviewer in town. You definitely should watch this movie. I would rate it as high as The Graduate,Annie Hall, Serendipity, As good as it gets. The characters are so adorable in spite of their obvious flaws. It's been nominated for all major awards this year. Both the actors are amazing. Zooey Deschanel is just so natural. What do I say about Joseph Gordon Levitt. He's surely one the best actors I have seen in a long time. He just gets into the part with ease. So I'll end it now. Go watch the movie folks. You won't be disappointed.

(After the breakup)
Tom::[Montage of Summer] I hate her crooked teeth. I hate the way she smacks her lips. I hate her knooby knees. I hate that cockroach shape splotch on her neck.

PS: Special Thanks to my friend Silky ;-) who made me watch this movie and to Karadi who gave me his copy :-).