(500) Days of Summer
I just saw the movie (500) Days of Summer. Good movie. I liked so much about it.
Such as?
(Don’t read if you don’t want to be at all spoiled, Frank Costanza, but everyone who has seen the trailer or read a review or two may safely continue reading.)
- Well, starting at the beginning, “This is a story of boy meets girl. But you should know up front, this is not a love story.”
- From there, I like that the movie delves into the topic of relationships that don’t slide neatly into place. “I like you but you don’t like me, but then you give me signs and –” it’s all so fragile. Highs and lows. I believe it. I mean, I’ve been there. We’ve all been there. I watch a typical romantic movie and I don’t get that same feeling. But this isn’t typical. It’s more of an uplifting, artsy flick. See, not all arthouse films that feel real and have meaning are depressing.
- So yeah, I liked that it wasn’t fluffy and neat. I thought it did a good job of being and feeling real. Part of me thinks this is the kind of movie that just might make for a good date movie. Well, depending on the after-movie conversation, haha. Maybe it’d be a bad first-date movie if the couple was unbalanced. Who has hand?!
- And while at first I thought it seemed, ah, stereotypical to have a quirky movie told in non-chronological order, I think it makes sense here since the movie seemed to be a reflection of how we remember things, looking back. First we remember the good, then we remember the bad. Then we’re over it and then we’re in it. We dissect it every which way possible.
- Speaking of technical aspects of the story-telling, I liked the editing. I think the movie was exactly as long as it needed to be. There weren’t a lot of (any?) superfluous scenes. There were no silly interludes because the studio’s focus groups determined that a joke was needed at this moment or that moment. It stayed on target.
- Related, I thought there was some fun, Amélie-style directing throughout. I could go on with examples, but to limit myself to one, there’s a few minutes during the movie where they run a split screen sub-titled Reality and Expectations. Good stuff. Again, who hasn’t been there?
- Oh, I liked the two lead actors. I thought they both filled their roles well. It doesn’t feel like either actor is trying to portray something that isn’t them.
- I liked that the movie didn’t cheat (or, cheat much). There were no extended, zoomed in scenes with tragic music rising in volume to make you feel what the characters or dialogue may not have evoked on their own.
- And I enjoyed the take on love. A little bit romantic, a little bit real… a little bit destiny and fate and love-at-first-sight, and a little bit about how it’s more our interpretations and what we’re looking for and coincidences to which we add meaning. Sometimes you think you have it all figured out and then you don’t.
- I loved the ending. A few minutes before “it, the ending” happened, I started thinking it might happen in a way that might not be good — and it ended that way and… it was good after all. For a split second, I thought I was heading for a bad ending and then just as quickly I realized it was the right ending, the honest ending, the ending that happens a lot of the time in real life. And I love the title. I can’t think of a more perfect title.
I also love that I was able to watch the movie and, after it ended, think about how happy I am to be with Candice. Sometimes, romantic movies have a reverse effect on me where I wonder what I’m doing with my life and why I’m with who I’m with and what it’s all about and so on. Right now, though, I just feel happy.
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I have to agree with the ending of your post. When the movie was over, it made it kind of play through my life with Jared in the same way. Go through the good, the bad, and what your expectations are of things, but what the reality is. I loved when one of Tom’s friend said that his “ideal girl” would look like “this”, and be more interested in “that”, but that his wife was “REAL” and THAT was what was perfect to him.
That really made me think. I think everybody has their “ideal” person, and we try so hard to find that “ideal” person, but everyone has their flaws. That is what makes them real people.
It is weird how 1 line in a movie, can be so thought provoking.
Maybe not everyone is affected so much by movies like this, but I tend to put a lot of thought into the characters, and why they do the things they do, and act the way they act, and this movie was PERFECT for me because of that. Like Bob said, the characters were very believable and reacted exactly how you would expect a person like that to act.
1I agree with ya. The point about ideal was interesting. I remember hearing a similar sentiment in an (don’t laugh) Outkast song, where Andre says something about how you can always find someone a little better looking or more fun or whatever, but when do you say enough is enough? You can’t always be looking for something else. It also reminds me of an old co-worker who was in his 40s. He lamented a girl who he let go of, in his past, because he assumed they’d keep getting better as he kept dating. Guess not. :\ Romance is weird.
2Haven’t read this yet, because I haven’t seen the film yet. Checking Fandango to see if I can fit in in between (or after) my shrink and my PT .. LOL
3Buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuut, I’m going to come back and read all this after I see it
4Perfect: Tomorrow a 12:10 :up:
5Awesome! Be sure to report back to us with your review
6Sadly it was really hard for me to watch it objectively. (I’ll have to see it again)
I didn’t realize until seeing this movie, how much Joseph Gordon-Levitt looks like my “first love”. I think also his character had a lot to do with it, his expressions, etc. Too many memories of the past: I was so on/off with my ex, so cavalier and he was always so crazy about me. He was in a job he settled for when we met, then went on to pursue his dream and became YES, and architect after we broke up, AND his last name is Hanson. He was a hopeless romantic who always talked about us being soul mates, etc. Me, well – not the marriage type. As soon as we were engaged I freaked out. I always felt so bad. The last time I saw him was a few years after we broke up, he was in a suit and we were in the same town where we met. He whispered to me, “I’ll always love you” . It broke my fucking heart because he was such a great guy. It just wasn’t right for me. So many scenes in that movie hit so close to home it was almost creepy. (although I was never near as damn adorable as Zooey
So the movie evoked a lot of really strange, sad, and flashbacky type moments for me. It kind of made me miss the whole “falling in love” feeling. But, too, made me realize how happy I am that I didn’t stay with the architect , because I have Mark now.
But damn, it was beautifully shot and I agree w/ Bob about how it was filmed and the overall feel of the film. Great script, very real, loved that the acting did not feel like acting. It almost felt like you were spying on them.
7Aw! I’m glad to hear you – uh… you liked it, right? Haha. Well, they say art evokes, and it sounds like it did that, even if it kind of cheated by tapping into an incredible coincidence! If I were you, and I had seen that movie, I would have totally freaked.
8I loved it, although there were copious amounts of tears. BTW, this is the architect’s daughter … so all’s well that ends well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCnG2bHmm2o
But anyway, I wish more films like this were made.
On a side note, I also saw The Time Traveler’s Wife. What a SHITTY adaptation. Book was amazing. The film was watered down drivel.
9Haven’t even watched the video yet, but had to comment on the fact that SHE looks like Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
10LOL Candice, she does! My ex looked fucking JUST like JGL, totally. (and now his kid does!) Freaked me the FUCK out watching the movie gawdammit. Weird, weird, weird.
So yeah, it was hard to “see” the movie the way I’d have really liked. Too many odd coincidences (funny, considering the film’s take on coincidences and the like)
And it’s strange because I always thought JGL was hot, but just today, seeing the movie I made the connection with my ex. I never saw him in a movie before, so seeing the way he moved, his voice, everything – really threw me. Guess it was the familiarity and all that I always found appealing. Sigh. It took me back to a place that was so different than where I am now, and it really kind of shook me up a bit.
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Sorry for hijacking your thread here with my wistful tales of lost love .. feel free to delete.. 
12Oh, whatever Gina. Your wistful tales of lost love are a lot better than the pointless conversations that have been taking place here as of late.
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