Andy Gapin

I’m not at all happy with how long it took for me to see this flick, but it was a weird release.  Though it opened in NYC about a month ago, I’ve been unable to make it in to see it. Since then, the general release has seemed to be a bit sporadic.

Based on the trailers, you’d expect this to be a cute, romantic comedy. It is not. I mean, it’s cute and there are some laughs, but it’s not really a comedy. It’s not really a drama either. It just kind of takes the best elements of indie film and uses them to make not-quite-what-you’d-expect love story. Doesn’t really matter what you call it, it’s a fun movie.

I had been told and read that the movie goes out of order and gives you a day at a time from their relationship. But really, it doesn’t feel like it’s presented non-chronologically so much as it feels like it’s actually telling two separate stories at the same time. One story is of Tom and Summer getting together and Tom falling in love with Summer. The other story is of them breaking up and Tom dealing with the breakup. However, the two stories are given to you in an alternating fashion. A day of one and then a day of the other. For the the most, each story is chronological within itself. For the most part. It’s a different way to present a story rather than how almost every single other movie is done, but it works. Well.

(500) Days Of Summer chooses not to give you the Hollywood style love story, but instead to focus on something more realistic, falling in love with someone and fooling yourself into thinking that they’re “the one.” It’s the kind of relationship where it starts out with a crush and you tell yourself that there is no one better out there for you, that this is the girl you’re meant to be with. Eventually, you get that girl and you think your life is perfect, your feet never touch the ground. The reality is, this relationship isn’t perfect. Even from the start it’s not, but you’re choosing only to see the good. You’re so blind to reality that you miss all the warning signs that the relationship is doomed and this girl doesn’t feel the same way. Then you’re shocked when it’s over and you try to justify all those problems as being normal and fixable instead of just accepting that it really wasn’t right and you were wrong. We’ve all been there. Girls, you too, but probably with a dude.

Choosing this over a true love story is what makes this film work and stand out rather than being just another romantic movie.

To top it off, add in a great soundtrack with songs by Regina Spektor, Fiest, The Smiths, and of course She & Him. I’d highly recommend this film. Even though you may be able to predict the last scene of the movie from the first couple of minutes, it’s pretty much perfect.

Rating: A