So for this summer I hadn’t many films that I ravished the opportunity to see. Sure you had your Star Treks and your Hangovers that I was interested in seeing but honestly I lacked that visceral desire to view. The summer 09 was weak and with good reason coming off the summer 08 with the likes of Ironman and that flying rodent movie. Still, it does have its diamonds.
A couple of weeks ago, I saw one of those diamonds in the rough when I checked out Marc Webb’s (500) Days of Summer. It seemed to be ages since I first heard about this film which led to months of anticipation. Immediately, the trailer sold me, communicating such a note of originality and post-modern freshness. The field of rom-coms are sorely lacking these days and this movie claimed to be something more, and more importantly something different. Given my sorespot for rom-coms, and desire for some innovation I’ve been looking forward to these 500 days for a little less than 200.
Tom is every man in the history of life at one point or another. As a greeting card writer who lost his way on to something much grander, he’s stuck in holding pattern of work functions and adequate living standards. Until the Girl, Summer. Sometimes the best conflict comes in the simplest terms. I definitely have to give it up for this movie for having one of the best taglines I’ve heard in awhile. Boy meets girl. Boy falls in love. Girl doesn’t. Plainly put, 500 will probably be the most originally fresh movie you see so far this year. It feels like a really savvy take on typical rom-coms, sometimes steering into the trappings just before surprising you. (Spoiler alert!) Make no mistake, they don’t end up together, but the journey is so much more satisfying. The movie darts around their relationship sacrificing a timeline (and natural progression/deterioration of a relationship) allowing Webb to make some editorial juxtapositions that unveil his ideas of this whole love thing. The way the little things that make you fall in love with a person can quickly turn into painfully annoying peeves. Webb taps into the love sorrow of all of us and the chemistry on screen emotes the pain and euphoria requisite in a serious relationship. Tom and Summer seemed destined and doomed together all in the same film thanks to two really wonderful performances. Joseph Gordon Levitt turns a love-sick, punch drunk puppy, but manages to still be a man, just in a lot of pain. And Zooey Deschanel’s Summer reminds you of every girl who rejected you, but made you come back for more. The movie adds to itself with some gorgeous shots such as this one below proving some really deft cinematography. It was lit by Eric Steelberg who also worked on Juno apparently as well as some lesser known flicks. I love that it has such an organic feel and Webb's not afraid to move the camera. At the same time, it's not distracting. Also, it's worth mentioning the incredible soundtrack as well gliding along with delicate piano riffs and this utterly downloadable song from Regina Specktor which opens the film.
Elixir: This movie really couldn’t miss with me. I love rom-coms and this one really enlivens the genre for me, opening it up for a post-modern generation (An Annie Hall for the facebook generation?). The most important thing about this movie is how genuine it is. 500 feels familiar in so many ways because it refuses to give what we’ve been conditioned to want. It teaches a lesson about being grown-up about love. That’s said, I really hope it makes money. Execs need to see that audiences are crying out for films like this. It’s a story that doesn’t give you what you want, but what you need.
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