(500) Days of Summer seasons a realistic romance with romantic comedy clichés.

Rating: 7/10 (3 March 2019)

"There are two kinds of people in this world: men and women". Aside from heavy-handed heterosexual lines of dialogue (like the above) in an attempt to come across as quirky, this romance often recycles classic love story traits and turns the story into a realistic relationship that questions fate and determinism. Many believe there is a soulmate out there in the big world for us, just waiting to be discovered. Is it fate? Or pure coincidence when we find love? Thomas, a writer for a card company, encounters the wonderfully sweet Summer. He helplessly falls in love and must soon deal with the aftermath of their "break up".
Using the guy's perspective is an interesting viewpoint, and portrays the idea that anyone regardless of gender can overanalyse a situation and suffer the same heartbreak. Director Webb captures the typical tropes that swamp the rom-com genre, such as happily dancing along the street to upbeat acoustic tracks, but turns them into self-referential devices to highlight the implausibility of true love. The use of on-screen graphics to indicate the narrative time shifts enhance the quirkiness of the film. It works well! Gordon-Levitt and Deschanel are cute together, even if the latter lacks the acting talent of the former. Yet they still emit a sense a humanity that makes them relatable as characters.
The fleeting romance between them is perhaps underdeveloped in certain areas, and that's partially due to the tight runtime that prevents further exploration into their adorable love. I mean look at him! He is always so smitten and happy. Just want to pinch his cheeks! I appreciate the realistic conclusion, and to be honest, Autumn looks like a catch so it works in his favour. Overall, a refreshing spin on the formulaic rom-com genre that really should've been "(1000) Days of Summer".