Review: 500 Days of Summer

Last night I finally got to see the much anticipated 500 Days of Summer. I have been obsessively stalking this film since the day I first saw the trailer up on the silver screen. Which brings me to a mental note: DO NOT watch a film's trailer 25 times before you go see the movie! Especially this film... it will ruin the first five minutes for you!
(I was reminded of the time when I went to go see When Harry Met Sally: The Musical [stop judging], and realized with a slow, painful horror that there had been absolutely no re-writes in the script from screen to stage. Knowing something off by heart definitely takes away from the suspending your disbelief factor!)

Anyways, despite smuggly guffawing into my popcorn at already being able to recite the lines from many a scene [the trailer is 2 mins and 27 seconds afterall], 500 Days definitely delivered everything it promised, and should be archived as a culture time capsule of what was cool with kids in the late 2000's. Namely, girls with bangs, The Smiths, dressing like we're in the '50s, and overlaying it all with graphic interludes that look like your next birthday card from Paperchase:


They even threw in a shout-out to Alain de Botton. Hey-o!


Admittedly, 500 Days held much more depth than I had originally given it credit to. I thought I'd leave the theatre with a tummy full of warm fuzzies, gummy bears and that lovin' feeling. Instead, 500 Days has a screenplay that resonates the honesty of relationships that few films are successful in capturing... Closer and Revolutionary Road to name a few.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt shines as Tom, a love struck, wannabe architect who meets the love of his life, Summer [Zooey Deschanel] at the greeting card company they work for. What follows is a non-linear narrative [yeah I went to film school] of their entire relationship, from break up to break down. Definitely worth a gander. And I want the soundtrack.

Rating: 5 J's and a pancake. Maybe some syrup for those babies too.