Had me a blast

Rating: 8/10 (31 August 2010)

Perhaps one of the greatest "Rom Coms" to come out in ages, this film spins the concept of what romantic comedies are to Hollywood. This film is sweet but tragic. It's endearing and real. The characters are treated like real people with real complex philosophical attractions to things like fate and destiny. It's always disappointing to watch a film of the same genre following its characters as they go through the motions to an ending that insults us and is preordained. In this case the film starts at the end and we see how these two people break up. And we are given insight through a series of flashbacks so we can piece together how the puzzle fell apart. Joseph Gordon Levitt plays it straight and charming. He's not unsure of himself and bumbling like other characters we have seen in similar roles. He's natural and easy to like. Zooey Deschanel also is wonderful in her performance and I have met girls like this before. Each bring their own foibles to the relationship. Both strength and weakness. There's a wonderful dance sequence with an old Hall and Oats song and the film has fun with it's narrations and observations. What a remarkable film and a great study of modern relationships.