A film that stays with you; charming, funny and beautiful

Rating: 7/10 (15 October 2009)

First and foremost it should be mentioned that the film is extremely well-made, despite its crew being composed mostly of first-timers. Marc Webb, the first-time director, has years of music video and commercial experience behind him, which explains how well-made and good looking the film is. But the fact that he managed to craft such a taught and fluid feature-length film is nonetheless quite impressive and almost surprising. In any case, I expect great things from him in the future. Fact is, this is an entirely indie film but without an indie feel; it's very well shot and professionally made, and I think that just adds to its genuineness. The film also features many elements that distinguish it from just an average film telling the same story: split-screen, frequent breaking of the fourth wall, a spontaneous song-and-dance number, animation, and of course the non-linear storytelling (with a number on screen indicating the position of the scene portrayed out of the titular 500 days to boot) are just a few of said elements that lend this film much of its uniqueness.
But ultimately, what makes this movie as special as it is are its characters. I have always said that a film begins and ends with its characters, and as far as I'm concerned, a good, plot-less character study will always be more interesting than a great story with uninteresting characters. And in a film like this, which eventually tells a pretty simple, straightforward and mundane story that we've all seen and heard before, the characters are key to distinguish it, to make it stand out. And this film succeeds more than most others in defining and presenting real, grounded, three-dimensional and identifiable characters. First-time screenwriters Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber do a fantastic job at defining these characters, but the credit lies with the actors for embodying them and breathing the life into them that radiates from the screen. I have been a long-time fan of both of the leads, especially of Joseph Gordon-Levitt who over the years, be it in Mysterious Skin or in Brick, has carved himself a niche as one of the most interesting and consistent young actors of his generation. Zooey Deschanel has always been wonderful, from her small supporting roles in older films such as Almost Famous to her more recent status as a leading lady, but this is the first movie of hers I've seen that really gives her a chance to shine and portray a fascinating and full-fledged character. Both performers really stand out in the film, and the supporting cast does a great job as well.
With films like this, it is easy to appreciate the technical accomplishments, from the spot-on cinematography to the fantastic performances. But a true, emotional connection with the audience is something rare, and very personal. This film connected with me. I just felt a very strong affinity to its characters, and to the situations it put them in. What I love about movies of its type is that it portrays circumstances that are all-too-familiar, drawn from real life, and totally identifiable if one goes through similar experiences in one's own life. I think that anyone who has had experience with sour relationships or with unrequited love can identify very easily with this film and its characters. Or perhaps some people will identify with Summer; people who have found themselves in relationships, basically, in which their feelings weren't as strong as their partner's. Some moments in this film are right out of life – the moment shared by Summer and Tom outside the bar, when she's just standing there waiting for him to kiss her but he hesitates and they end up parting ways. And the film flawlessly portrays the characters' feelings as they go through these motions and find themselves in these true-to-life situations.
This is an indie film, but it doesn't feel like one. It's whimsical, but never precious. It's stylized but never unrealistic. It's very small-scale but it never feels cheap. Eventually, what makes it work so well as a film is the fact that it takes a very simple story and situation, drawn from real life, and portrays it in a way that is cinematic enough to keep our interest, but realistic enough to resonate and stay true to life. It's a film that doesn't reach for the stars, doesn't feature a meaningful plot or story and doesn't convey some big message; rather, it's a film built on moments, beautiful and wonderful moments that make it so special: the narration, the song-and-dance number, Summer's glances at Tom and her reactions to his behavior, the dialogue, the two lead performances, the genuinely hilarious moments and jokes (I neglected to mention that the film is also really funny!) the music, the Belle and Sebastian and Smiths references, the non-linear chronology, the split-screen sequence showing Tom's "expectations" on one side and the "reality" as it actually unfolds on the other, the moments that just totally capture exactly what the real life situations they depict feel like, such as the aforementioned bar exterior, or the encounter on the train. It's one of those films that stays with you, that you want to go see again and again, to take that journey with the characters one more time, to get to know them even more, and to look into their lives and see so much of your own.