(500) Days of Summer

2

ramsaypAug 9, 2009

Is two a bit harsh? Perhaps, but I am grading the movie in light of the films that it aspires to be like. Actually, aspires is the wrong word. "Marketed" would be more appropriate. The film really has no aspirations other than to portray Is two a bit harsh? Perhaps, but I am grading the movie in light of the films that it aspires to be like. Actually, aspires is the wrong word. "Marketed" would be more appropriate. The film really has no aspirations other than to portray itself as a hip indie romantic comedy that will rope in those susceptible to fawning over anything that references The Smiths, "The Graduate," etc., has a cool indie rock score, has a jaded central character, and contains the insipid indie darling, Zooey Deschanel. There is absolutely nothing new here, and the material that is recycled (I don't think there is anything wrong with retreading tride and true formulas) is done so badly. The venture doesn't even come close to a movie like, "He's just not that into you," which is no classic. But this is no surprise, since the demographic "500" aims for want to indulge in the idea of "indie" while remaining entirely "de-pendant" on the opinions of their peers. People in their twenties and thirties have other concerns, and want to be entertained... at least somewhat.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful

5

NateJ.Aug 8, 2009

This movie has some poignant moments that kept me interested, but overall the script and execution is disappointing. The only way it could be considered "original" is if you are comparing it to saccharine, assembly line rom-coms. Almost This movie has some poignant moments that kept me interested, but overall the script and execution is disappointing. The only way it could be considered "original" is if you are comparing it to saccharine, assembly line rom-coms. Almost everything in this movie you've already seen. The quirkiness is forced, the soundtrack is overactive, and the ending predictable. The acting isn't bad, but Zooey is stuck playing a rather unlikeable and two-dimensional character. Overall, not worth seeing in the theater.… Expand

1 of 4 users found this helpful

4

JeffAAug 8, 2009

I guess it was pretty good as far as romantic comedies go, which isn't saying a whole lot. Like most self-absorbed female characters in these movies, Zooey Deschanel is generally unlikable. Along with too many coincidental plot fillers, I guess it was pretty good as far as romantic comedies go, which isn't saying a whole lot. Like most self-absorbed female characters in these movies, Zooey Deschanel is generally unlikable. Along with too many coincidental plot fillers, I had problems with too much forced hipsterism: "I love The Smiths." Joseph Gordon-Levitt was a decent hapless emo sweatervest-donning twenty-something. He was about as close to real as this movie gets to romance -- the pathetic, angst ridden worship that plagues obsessive hipsters. I still don't buy the pro's claims that this is a realistic premise, which is completely destroyed by its ultimate hokeyness.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful

10

DaleMAug 7, 2009

This most excellent film is not your typical love story. As a matter of fact, it may not be a love story at all. In some ways it's more about growing up than it is about love. In other ways it's more about how we perceive reality This most excellent film is not your typical love story. As a matter of fact, it may not be a love story at all. In some ways it's more about growing up than it is about love. In other ways it's more about how we perceive reality than it is about love or growing up. In other ways it's more about the indefatigable spirit of life and about not ever really growing up but about how one season just flows into the next in a wonderful cycle driven, as Dante pointed out, by the power of love. So in the end, it really is a love story. The story in this film is told in non-chronological order. The structure is more like the structure of memory. In our consciousness, memories from different past time periods pop up next to one another without chronological ordering. Yet despite it being told as a series of memories, the end of the film is more difficult to predict than your typical romantic comedy. The non-chronological story line is only one way that 500 Days of Summer presents life in subjective terms. Our emotions often color our perceptions. In this film, the story is colored by the main character's emotions. When he is happy, he remembers happy things and perceives happiness around him. If you watch the film closely, you will even how the movies tend to mold his perceptions. At one point, I thought I was watching a scene from the Graduate, but it was actually an original scene in the film. The end result of all this originality is a film with a wide emotional range that is lots of fun. Excellent acting, good music, and good art direction and dancing.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful

9

GKAug 6, 2009

Quick and funny Smart and real. Nicely made with great cast and music. A wonderful movie.

2 of 2 users found this helpful

7

hcAug 5, 2009

I'm surprised by how much I liked this movie even with the hipster/stylized elements. Gordon-Levitt is really a solid actor and the writing/direction was great. I'm not big on romantic comedies, but I definitely liked this quite a I'm surprised by how much I liked this movie even with the hipster/stylized elements. Gordon-Levitt is really a solid actor and the writing/direction was great. I'm not big on romantic comedies, but I definitely liked this quite a bit---there was some real honesty that was totally refreshing, while still being a pretty cinematic film.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful

1

JeanC.Aug 3, 2009

It was long and pointless, boring as hell.

0 of 1 users found this helpful

5

AdamC.Aug 3, 2009

I like Joseph Gordon-Levitt, but I cannot recommend this film simply because the female lead is completely unlikeable. Zooey Deschanel plays an absorbed woman who toys with a guy's emotions as if she is a maestro conducting a symphony. I like Joseph Gordon-Levitt, but I cannot recommend this film simply because the female lead is completely unlikeable. Zooey Deschanel plays an absorbed woman who toys with a guy's emotions as if she is a maestro conducting a symphony. The ending of the movie does not resolve the bitter taste that her character leaves behind. Honestly, I wanted a bus to run her over, gently, of course.… Expand

1 of 4 users found this helpful

9

AaronG.Aug 2, 2009

A great romantic comedy to bring the summer to an optimistic end.

0 of 0 users found this helpful

3

BellenS.Aug 2, 2009

Pretty typical example from the Annie Hall school of romantic comedies that exhibits the same superficial quirkiness Juno had... a few Smiths songs here, some squiggly pencil drawings there... I guess it's pretty charming, if Pretty typical example from the Annie Hall school of romantic comedies that exhibits the same superficial quirkiness Juno had... a few Smiths songs here, some squiggly pencil drawings there... I guess it's pretty charming, if you're into that. Oh, and they TOTALLY stole a gag from the Steve Martin movie The Lonely Guy, a far superior rom-com. Heartbroken guy who works at a greeting card company starts writing bitter cards? Steve should sue their quirky pants off!… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful

9

BobS.Aug 1, 2009

Original, two super actors, tears at your heart.

0 of 0 users found this helpful

9

jeffhAug 1, 2009

What a wonderful movie.It is real,funny and emotional-everyting a romantic comedy should be.Both leads are very talented and the non-sequential storytelling leaves you guessing.

1 of 1 users found this helpful

9

BillyS.Aug 1, 2009

I Loved this movie! It's smart, funny, touching and bittersweet in ways I haven't seen in a movie since Annie Hall, and what Diane Keaton was to that classic, Joseph Gordon-Levitt is to 500 Days. An astonishing performance that I Loved this movie! It's smart, funny, touching and bittersweet in ways I haven't seen in a movie since Annie Hall, and what Diane Keaton was to that classic, Joseph Gordon-Levitt is to 500 Days. An astonishing performance that carries the film to another level. This is the kind of movie the Academy expanded it's Best Picture category for - a small independent miracle!… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful

10

flysydef.Aug 1, 2009

Funny and touching, very honest.

0 of 0 users found this helpful

0

commentscommentsAug 1, 2009

This was the worst piece of derivative, hollow, pandering, charlie kaufman-aping, focus tested, faux quirk, garbage i've seen in my whole life. this is a movie especially made for people who don't particularly care for movies, and This was the worst piece of derivative, hollow, pandering, charlie kaufman-aping, focus tested, faux quirk, garbage i've seen in my whole life. this is a movie especially made for people who don't particularly care for movies, and are just looking to have their little round things tickled every now and again, and in that way the studio estimated its audience perfectly, but to call it anything else is to be completely deluded.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful

10

bobjJul 30, 2009

Lol at the people who gave the movie 0s because it wasn't 'deep enough' for them... next time go ahead and walk out, nobody really cares.

0 of 0 users found this helpful

9

[Anonymous]Jul 30, 2009

One of the most entertaining romantic comedies I've seen in a long time. It's thoughtful and bittersweet, and might be the best representation of modern relationships that Hollywood has put out.

0 of 0 users found this helpful

8

JasonLJul 29, 2009

I could stare at Zooey Deschanel all day long. She is the perfect woman!!! I could watch her do a remake of Ishtar, for god's sake. The movie was pretty good. It jumped all over the place, but it was handled quite masterfully. Great writing!

0 of 0 users found this helpful

8

luigicJul 27, 2009

Tom - (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) meets Summer (Zooey Deschanel) and falls into an unrequited love story. Joseph Gordon-Levitt gives us Tom's pain an depth so that we are empathetic throughout. While 500 days of Summer is very entertaining. Tom - (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) meets Summer (Zooey Deschanel) and falls into an unrequited love story. Joseph Gordon-Levitt gives us Tom's pain an depth so that we are empathetic throughout. While 500 days of Summer is very entertaining. in some ways we are watching Tom die a slow death and we're feeling the effects of his suffering. Gordon-Levitt owns this movie and while the supporting cast doesn't get in the way they provide little additional value. Zooey Deschanel is very good but to no fault of her own pretty much any ingenue would have sufficed. All Deschanel has to do is show us why Tom would fall in love with Summer. She does that just fine. This is not a conventional unrequited love story. Sure we all know how it gets from point A to point B, but director Mark Webb gets us from beginning to end by showing us various milestones along the path. It makes the story much more interesting and while the ending is exactly what we expect - it makes getting there a lot more fun. Some minor quibbles - Tom's little sister becomes his sage in matters of the heart - and she's what - 12 years old? Though she does have the best advice for Tom - that maybe he's only pining over the good memories... Would have been much more cogent had it come from an adult who would have the maturity and experience to provide such wisdom. I really enjoyed 500 Days of Summer - our hearts get yanked around just like Tom's. And Summer is the girl we all hope our sons don't meet on their way from Point A to Point B.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful

9

BillBJul 27, 2009

Nice try at sounding smart Marieke W, but its obvious you were dumped at some point and this movie brought those skeletons out of your closet. This movie is anything but your "run of the mill" romance comedy. It's funny, heartbreaking, Nice try at sounding smart Marieke W, but its obvious you were dumped at some point and this movie brought those skeletons out of your closet. This movie is anything but your "run of the mill" romance comedy. It's funny, heartbreaking, and very real all at the same time. My GF and I both loved it as well as everyone else in the theater. Go turn on Pretty Woman or Dirty Dancing for the 8,354th time and remain in LaLa land. Those of us who enjoy something fresh and real will love this movie.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful

0

AustinWJul 25, 2009

One of the most trite, pretentious, awful movies I have seen in a long time. I wish I had walked out.

0 of 0 users found this helpful

9

DaveJul 25, 2009

Wow, Marieke that's quite a harsh review. Are you sure it was for this film? Also, you say "great films of our time", which films exactly are you talking about because I think There have been VERY few in this genre actually made this Wow, Marieke that's quite a harsh review. Are you sure it was for this film? Also, you say "great films of our time", which films exactly are you talking about because I think There have been VERY few in this genre actually made this good in recent years. Having gone through this in a past relationship, I could totally identify with Joseph Gordon-Levitt's character. I thought everything depicted here was spot-on. Great acting all around and a great script. My only complaint, and this is slight was the part of the younger sister which seemed a bit far fetched.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful

2

MariekeW.Jul 25, 2009

This film was horrible. Trite. Anything you see here, you should have seen elsewhere, unless, a) you are 12 and haven't seen any of the great films of our time, or b) you are in need of identifying with zooey deschanel's cultivated This film was horrible. Trite. Anything you see here, you should have seen elsewhere, unless, a) you are 12 and haven't seen any of the great films of our time, or b) you are in need of identifying with zooey deschanel's cultivated quirk of detachment. There was nothing novel about the segments that one could tell were meant to stand out. When they say "it's been done before", it may not be apt, but in this case it is, because it's been done better. Don't waste your time and energy watching a train-wreck romance....wait for it...crash...when that's all it could ever do. This movie is a sketch of an empty shell of a relationship, without any character development. Nothing to hold onto after it tips you into the void. And no, that's not directorial irony.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful

7

JonathanG.Jul 23, 2009

What do you say about a film that

0 of 0 users found this helpful

10

ScottAJul 22, 2009

One word.... BRILLIANT!

0 of 0 users found this helpful

10

hbleezJul 22, 2009

Great movie!!! 100% original romantic comedy, the two leads give stellar performances, novel directing, the non-linear nature of the story captivates you, and the bittersweet nature of love is depicted in a refreshing and fun way... provides Great movie!!! 100% original romantic comedy, the two leads give stellar performances, novel directing, the non-linear nature of the story captivates you, and the bittersweet nature of love is depicted in a refreshing and fun way... provides many good laughs, but is also touching and makes you think about who you are meant to be with...hope this movie gets more distribution.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful

10

LoyalMJul 21, 2009

The best Cameron Crowe film never made. Joins Before Sunset, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Once, and Garden State as the defining films about relationships for a generation. Oh and the soundtrack, how sweet and lovely.

0 of 0 users found this helpful

10

BenEJul 20, 2009

One of the most beautifully acted, and brilliantly directed films I have ever seen. True and refreshing cinematic art.

0 of 0 users found this helpful

10

GraziBJul 19, 2009

Just unforgettable.

0 of 0 users found this helpful

10

JonathanS.Jul 19, 2009

...As if a thousand childhood Christmases were crammed into an hour and a half. It lost some steam when it hit the halfway point, but that's irrelevant--Gordon-Levitt's dance scene alone was worth the price of admission; I ...As if a thousand childhood Christmases were crammed into an hour and a half. It lost some steam when it hit the halfway point, but that's irrelevant--Gordon-Levitt's dance scene alone was worth the price of admission; I haven't smiled that much in who knows how long. Simply enjoyable, yet creative and unwilling to give into convention, this movie deserves to break into a big hit. Not to mention, it's an independent film that uses good music to actually flesh out the scenes, not just act quirky. And having two of my favorite actors didn't hurt at all. I saw it three times through the Fox Searchlight Advance Screening program, and I still plan to see it a fourth time. I'm calling it now: with the expanded slots at the Oscars and Comedy section in the Golden Globes: don't be surprised if this is the little indie that squares off with all the traditional November films like Nine and Shutter Island. Best movie of the summer, along with The Hurt Locker. See it!… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful

10

TyroneG.Jul 18, 2009

What an amazing work. Truly the best of the year. I finally feel like my generation has it's "the graduate" or "annie hall." Just wonderful writing perfectly executed from the top down. Bravo! Can't wait to see it again!

0 of 0 users found this helpful

9

RichardW.Jul 18, 2009

Sweet without cloying; a wonderful "couple" in a beautifully directed film

0 of 0 users found this helpful

9

NormJul 17, 2009

Zooey Deschanel might be, finally, on a solid career track. Her performance in her last five movies have been good . . . after an earlier spotty track record. Joseph Gordon-Levitt's work has been fairly consistently strong since leaving Zooey Deschanel might be, finally, on a solid career track. Her performance in her last five movies have been good . . . after an earlier spotty track record. Joseph Gordon-Levitt's work has been fairly consistently strong since leaving sitcom TV. The two 28 year olds are perfectly cast in (500) Days Of Summer. The interaction of their relationship, cleverly written, rang true. In fact I would say it was probably universally true. I bet every one can identify with one or another or both. They seemed so right for each other . . . not to mention both being super cute. But . . . Well. we are warned very early in the film that this is not going to be a successful love story. So I wasn't expecting a "they live happily ever after" kind of ending. But the ending, which evoked laughter and applause from the small audience - it was a 10:30 a.m. showing, was most satisfying.… Expand

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(500) Days of Summer

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