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Total MEETin Stars = 8.33333333333
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Carolyn
updated on 07/06/09 1:44:20
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500 Days of Summer - Viewed 1760 Times
( CLICK HERE FOR RELATED WEB LINK )
Like many fans of quirky and insightful indie’s such as All the Real Girls and Garden State, I have been eagerly anticipating the release of 500 Days of Summer since first stumbling upon an early trailer months ago. Just based on that short taste, I could tell that it promised to combine an intriguing premise, a quirky sensibility that was right up my alley and it starred my current favorite actress, Zooey Dechanel, whom I first discovered when I had the pleasure of seeing the aforementioned All the Real Girls. I mean this is the actress who managed to not only steal the mediocre romantic comedy Failure to Launch from its headlining stars in every scene, but gave me an actual reason to ever see the movie again.
Delightful premise and great cast or not however does not always produce a satisfying entertainment experience. What if all the best parts were in the trailer? Will the yo-yoing timeline be confusing? Will the quirk factor be too high?
I’m beyond delighted to let you know that the answer to those questions is a resounding NO!. From the opening disclaimer (I don’t want to spoil it for you) to the closing credits this movie was in turns hilarious, heartbreaking, tender and surprising. This is an intelligent and remarkably creative movie with a modest heart. Unlike many indie movies that I feel pat themselves on the back for how smart and different they are, this movie never condescends.
It is a cerebral movie that has enough humor and heart for the average popcorn imbibing audience to enjoy. It has quirky elements like a bouncing timeline, a post-coital dance number and split screens, and yet each element has a distinct organic feel and never creates a jump-the-shark moment. Instead each works to illuminate the inner workings of the characters mind. In fact for those who complain that movies often don’t provide the inner monologue a book provides, this movie will provide them a unique change.
The writer and director are clearly talented and creative, but this movie would not be the shining star it is without the performances of its stellar cast. The supporting cast is mostly there to propel the story and these character’s have some clearly stock elements included in the mix, and yet the actors rise above those limitations; particularly Matthew Gray Gubler from CBS’s Criminal Minds as Tom’s best friend.
And of course Zooey Deschanel is the perfect Summer with her big blue bambi eyes, raspy come hither voice and independent sensibilities. You understand Summer’s allure and she never rushes a line or wastes a chance to use her expressive face to say what her words are not. However the real revelation is Gordon-Levitt. He brings Tom alive and draws you in with his complete faith in the power of love. There were so many moments where I saw myself in him, particularly when Summer has just told him as they lay in bed for the first time that they should keep things casual and that she’s not looking for a boyfriend. His eyes and body language are screaming that this is the girl of his dreams and “Hell No! That’s not enough!” but his head bobs and his words assure her that it is. How many of us have been in that position and done the exact same thing because we convince ourselves it’s better to be with them casually than not at all.
I have not been as taken with a movie and its characters quite this much since Garden State. Although there are some truly heartbreaking moments, in recollection it feels like I never stopped laughing. I’ll admit that I love corny, even bad romantic comedies but the stock set-ups and predictable outcomes can get old. This movie is not only delightful in its originality but in the authenticity of the relationship and in how it was acted. The chemistry between the two leads is electric and palpable. In fact the only part of the movie that gave me pause was the extreme decline of Tom when the relationship falls apart. And yet since I know that this movie is about belief systems and faith as much as it is about a relationship, I can rest assured knowing even this has a purpose.
9 MEETin Stars
(Member of MEETinBALTIMORE)
Carolyn is my friend
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Reply by Alison at 08/15/09 12:16:36 --
loved
Loved it. Unique and made me think a lot about relationships afterward. Awesome soundtrack too.
9 MEETin Stars
(Member of MEETinPHOENIX) (Flag This Message)
Alison is my friend
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Reply by Patty at 08/08/09 9:33:50 --
Not so much
I'll grant that this movie is original and it's better than some other indie flicks I've seen. I found myself laughing in a couple places, but not many in my viewing audience laughed. There were some touching scenes but nothing to make me cry. My friend who just ended a relationship wanted to see this, so I went along. Think she cried through much of it. Giving it a "C" score of 7 stars. We were asked to evaluate this movie with this little survey card given as we entered the theatre, that was a first. I say this movie was cute, much like I said Slumdog was cute. This type of movie entertains me for 90 minutes, but I don't spend time thinking about it afterward. It's what I call a marshmallow cream movie = light and fluffy, disappears quickly.
7 MEETin Stars
(Member of MEETinPORTLAND) (Flag This Message)
Patty is my friend
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