Captures the Generation

Rating: 10/10 (16 January 2010)

"(500) Days of Summer," seems like a simple romantic comedy from the DVD cover. It's not. It's an unconventional comedy that captures the 2000s generation.
"(500) Days of Summer" is not a love story. Leads Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel don't begin the film as rivals/enemies and end it as lovers in the screwball fashion spurred by Tracy/Hepburn and company. They don't have a hot-cold romance that eventually falls through, in the Annie Hall tradition. In "(500) Days," Gordon-Levitt's Tom falls head-over-heels in love with Zooey Deschanel's Summer. He doesn't have that Woody Allen "devil may care" attitude, where you doubt that the romance really means all that much to him. He is totally smitten. The wrench in the works is Summer. She's just not in love with Tom. Their relationship actually loses steam and fizzles out with Tom despairing and Summer.....well......feeling alright.
This sounds like a spoiler review, but it's not. Part of the innovation of this film is its structure. Thanks to visual cues on screen, the film jumps from day to day, whether forward or backwards. The film opens at the end of the relationship, the jumps all throughout its 500 days. This keeps the narrative fresh and interesting, and doesn't allow the sadder scenes to sink the film into depression.
This is THE romantic comedy for this generation. The characters are bitingly sarcastic and pop culturally-aware. Their conversations are compelling and witty, and their clothes have that undeniably "hipster" quality. They love "vintage" items, and they think.talk about profound subjects. Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel are perfectly cast. They play the leads with genuine humanity and interest. They shine especially in the scenes towards the end of the romance, where snappy dialogue gives way to mood swings and foreboding.
"(500) Days of Summer" will assuredly becomes the basis for a new generation of tired romantic comedies, but it rises above the mold and will hopefully always be remembered as a rend-setter rather than just part of the trend. With a great soundtrack, a memorable dance sequence, and an innovative structure, "(500) Days of Summer" has entered the canon of the greats.