500 Days of Summer-(500) Days of Summer (2009)

Directed by: Marc Webb | 97 minutes | drama, comedy, romance | Actors: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Zooey Deschanel, Geoffrey Arend, Chloe Moretz, Matthew Gray Gubler, Clark Gregg, Patricia Belcher, Rachel Boston, Minka Kelly, Ian Reed Kesler, Darryl Alan Reed, Valente Rodriguez, Yvette Nicole Brown, Nicole Vicius, Natalie Boren, Maile Flanagan, Darryl Sivad, Gregory Thompson, Michael Bodie, John Mackey, Jacob Stroop, Kevin Michael, Sid Wilner, Jean-Paul Vignon, Olivia Howard Bagg, Jennifer Hetrick, Kenneth Hughes, Kevin Leung, Nathan Prevost, Eileen Reardon , Jason Robinson, Charles Walker

In ‘500 Days of Summer’ we follow Tom and Summer, two young adults who haven’t baked much of life yet. Tom designs postcards, Summer is a secretary. The two meet at work, fall in love, have some sort of relationship, and split up again. But is that also the end of their story?

This conventional plot is told in a less common way. We don’t get to see the events in the normal time sequence, but in a jumbled chronology. In order not to get the viewer lost, each sequence indicates on which day of the 500 days from the title the scene takes place.

Also notable is the lack of compelling plot twists. Where in most romantic comedies adultery, marriage plans, misunderstandings and former lovers appear, in ‘500 Days of Summer’ we see something very different. A series of everyday events, which do not propel the plot but illustrate the state of affairs within the relationship. The jumbled chronology comes in handy here. For example, we see two visits to Ikea, at the beginning and at the end of the relationship. In the film, the visits are edited one after the other, so that we see falling in love turn into despair, optimism into melancholy.

Less deviant is the postmodern style of the film. The voice over is borderline, but the playful cinematography and pop-cultural references are mostly successful. For example, the closing fragment from ‘The Graduate’ passes by, with Simon and Garfunkel in the background, but now not ‘Sounds of Silence’ but ‘Bookends’. A song that fits the moment (Preserve your memories, they’re all that’s left you) and that contributes to the melancholic undertone.

While real jokes are scarce, there is plenty to laugh about. Because of Tom’s friends, his bizarre job and his little sister, who stands by him like a miniature therapist. However, the biggest attraction of the film is the couple themselves. Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel create a couple that you immediately embrace as a viewer.

Nice background music (The Smiths, Wolfmother) and a fresh look at the architecture of Los Angeles complete the picture. ‘500 Days of Summer’ is an intelligent, funny and wistful film that can be placed somewhere between ‘Garden State’ and ‘Cashback’. A comedy that makes you laugh and sniff and that makes you think about things like romance, illusion and coincidence. So recommended.