SILVER SCREEN: Summer Days (500 to be exact)

If you've ever lusted after someone to the point of obsession, stood in front of them and felt like nothing short of a complete dag, dreamt about them day and night to the point where you've convinced yourself you're actually in a relationship and were prepared to dismantle an atomic bomb if it meant getting to somehow be in their general vicinity, this movie is for you.

While (500) Days of Summer could fall under the romcom banner, it's far from your traditional romantic comedy. Sure, it possesses some of the vitals - boy meets girl, boy falls in love, girl doesn't know he exits, girl then realises he exits, girl and boy begin mild flirtation, girl and boy start a relationship, relationship goes sour, hearts break, dreams shatter, tears, tissues and torment - there's just one little hiccup that prevents this movie from standing side-by-side with its great romcom predecessors.

Boy and girl do not get together in the end.

(I'm sorry to ruin it for you, but the ending is spoiled within the first five minutes of the film anyway so it's not like I'm telling you something you're not evenutally going to find out.)

And this is what makes (500) Days of Summer so worth the $17.00 you'll pay to go and see it. It has all the sweet intoxication of a romance, wrapped up in this quirky, comedic script which tugs on the heart strings for all the right reasons. Zooey Deschanel is stunning as the 'girl' in question - the anal, awkward Summer Finn who has Joseph Gordon-Levitt (who's grown up some since his 10 Things I Hate About You days) pouring over her like an adoring puppy. You can't help but genuinely feel for Gordon-Levitt's Tom Hansen who gets buffeted by Summer's free-wheeling ways but can't help but do anything other than adore her.

The script is completely devoid of those cringe-worthy romantic comedy cliches and in their place, there are these beautifully crafted lines which are delivered with all the honesty of a heart longing to have something it isn't allowed.

Narrator: Most days of the year are unremarkable. They begin, and they end, with no lasting memories made in between. Most days have no impact on the course of a
life. May 23rd was a Wednesday.

And in the same way, but on a different track, the script is almost brutal in the way it handles the love that it forbids. Intertwining comedy with an almost desperate edge of tragedy.

Rachel Hansen: Better that you find this out now before you come home and find
her in bed with Lars from Norway.
Tom: Who's Lars?
Rachel Hansen: He's some guy she met at the gym with Brad Pitt's face and Jesus' abs.

While you don't float out of the cinema on Cloud Nine, restraining your gag reflex at the amount of sappy, soppy romantic crap they shoved down your throat and hoping that one day, you too, might find Mr Dreamboat, you do leave the cinema feeling relatively empowered. Here's a story which isn't about the destination, the tear-inducing passionate kiss which introduces the rolling credits as the music swells. This story is about the journey, which may not end in a happily ever after, but still ends none the less and for those love-sick amongst us, sometimes that's all we can ask for.

Popcorn Quality: 4/5
Starring: Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Running Time: 1 hr 35 mins

Recommended if you enjoyed: Juno, Little Miss Sunshine

Trailer:

or click here to view the trailer in YouTube.