Wonderful, powerful but contains oddities

Rating: 8/10 (29 January 2011)

I usually write a review when a movie touches me. So did this one at times with little bit of greasy hands but for the most part pleasantly after all.
Tom is a laid back guy that studied architecture but doesn't do it and posses an intensive depth of romantic affection. While Tom looks like regular Joe, Summer is is depicted as superb girl, the kind everybody notices and acknowledges the obviousness of her charm and beauty. They both cross each others' path and develop a relationship...
The narration clearly states it's not going to be a love story, whatever that means... As a matter of fact, it is a love story - with two distinct approaches, different motivations and yet the common fields. Their love happens to blend a lot of individual takes and differences into the defining common partnership area, but it's not really all that simple.
The movie is attention drawing and the essence of the main characters is interesting and amusing. The story is trilling enough and it's easy to maintain a feeling you might get surprised. And the movies actually does surprise you, delivering a genuine experience and powerful message. It excels in portraying the full spectrum of individual strongest emotion - love - in an amazing detail.
The movie has an odd splash screen with literally a time-board, where you are brought numerous times during the flick to see "where are we currently", on a scale of 1 to 500 days. And oh yes, it goes back and forth as a countryside jukebox. I am not a fan of the non-linear flow which is a key tool of the story-telling in this picture, but it works, (until later on when it's harder to follow).
The movie is very clever in communicative instruments and symbolism, however it fails completely in means of building an atmospheric surrounding. What I had a hard time to tolerate was the constant and pounding feel of something overly artificial, even pathetic. The bitterness of horrible attempts to bring some sort of 80's touch mixed with 60's and what not was present from the beginning 'till end. The movie on one hand clearly sets in presence (thin cellphones and Dell LCD PC screens) while the characters clothes, the hairdos, the office furniture, other people in scenes, interiors, car, music, the business suits people wear etc... are failing to fit into a believable contemporary image. What was it, really!? Tom in one scene plays a portable hand-held video-game (out of view) that emits 8-bit sounds typical for 80ties. The whole vintage factor totally lacks the purpose and any possible sense. It simply acts like it's decades ago, even though it told you it's not. Thus it pretends to lie to you, while it made clear to you it's a lie which is a desperate demonstration of a full blown and carefully perfected non-sense that can only give you a headache. (which you may already have from non-linear jumps)
In one scene you get to see a brief musical-like performance I could have been spared of, thinking it was just too much (people dancing in sync and sing outdoors along the music) but maybe, somebody, somewhere would find that remotely amusing or humorous so I'll be neutral about it.
I am not going to get deeper in the story. You need to watch trough and believe me it's worth it. It's good enough to make up for its flaws.
It is a wonderful movie and you will not regret watching it.