500 Days of Summer (12A.)
Directed by Marc Webb.
Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Zooey Deschanel, Geoffrey Arend, Matthew Gray Gubler, Chloe Grace Moretz, Clark Gregg. 95 mins .
At the start the not-actually-Morgan-Freeman narrator informs us that “this is not a love story.” But of course it is; a love story about a man called Tom (Gordon-Levitt) who always dreamt of finding The One. But when he does in the shape of Summer (Deschanel), she can’t quite bring herself to be in love with him, even though they have a great relationship. I sympathise – though I desperately wanted to and at times felt myself teetering on the edge, I never quite fell in love with the film.
It has a lot going for it though and some of you will certainly find it something to swoon over. It is charming, amusing, inventive and has two really tremendous leads. Gordon-Levitt is like the talent and face of Heath Ledger imposed upon the body and mannerisms of Keanu Reeves. Deshanel is so appealing partly because of her ridiculously blue eyes and partly because she’s so effortless. She’s a tiny little thing but this doesn’t look like it’s the results of an Olympic schedule of pilates. When she has to swallow food in the film you don’t imagine hours spent with an acting coach in preparation for it.
In some ways it is a modern Annie Hall, a wry look at the reality of romance. The 500 days of their time together are explored randomly with an on screen counter to help us keep track as the narrative flits back and forth through the relationship. It’s full of quirky gimmicky bits, most of which work better than quirky gimmicky bits usually do.
It’s also like Annie Hall in that it is an entirely male view of relationships and the title character is a male fantasy. Summer is that pure, arty, free spirit that is into all the same cool books and indie records as you, always stays just about on the palatable side of kooky and is something of an American version of Clare Grogan in Gregory’s Girl (emphasis on the “something” - there can never be another.)
The point of the film is that once found, The One won’t conform to the fantasy. This is a nice adult point to make, but to do so the plot has her doing things that seem unthinkingly cruel. Having gotten us to fall for her, you resent the film for being so nasty about her and suspect that behind its breezy, trendy trappings it may just be a bit square.
Directed by Marc Webb.
Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Zooey Deschanel, Geoffrey Arend, Matthew Gray Gubler, Chloe Grace Moretz, Clark Gregg. 95 mins .
At the start the not-actually-Morgan-Freeman narrator informs us that “this is not a love story.” But of course it is; a love story about a man called Tom (Gordon-Levitt) who always dreamt of finding The One. But when he does in the shape of Summer (Deschanel), she can’t quite bring herself to be in love with him, even though they have a great relationship. I sympathise – though I desperately wanted to and at times felt myself teetering on the edge, I never quite fell in love with the film.
It has a lot going for it though and some of you will certainly find it something to swoon over. It is charming, amusing, inventive and has two really tremendous leads. Gordon-Levitt is like the talent and face of Heath Ledger imposed upon the body and mannerisms of Keanu Reeves. Deshanel is so appealing partly because of her ridiculously blue eyes and partly because she’s so effortless. She’s a tiny little thing but this doesn’t look like it’s the results of an Olympic schedule of pilates. When she has to swallow food in the film you don’t imagine hours spent with an acting coach in preparation for it.
In some ways it is a modern Annie Hall, a wry look at the reality of romance. The 500 days of their time together are explored randomly with an on screen counter to help us keep track as the narrative flits back and forth through the relationship. It’s full of quirky gimmicky bits, most of which work better than quirky gimmicky bits usually do.
It’s also like Annie Hall in that it is an entirely male view of relationships and the title character is a male fantasy. Summer is that pure, arty, free spirit that is into all the same cool books and indie records as you, always stays just about on the palatable side of kooky and is something of an American version of Clare Grogan in Gregory’s Girl (emphasis on the “something” - there can never be another.)
The point of the film is that once found, The One won’t conform to the fantasy. This is a nice adult point to make, but to do so the plot has her doing things that seem unthinkingly cruel. Having gotten us to fall for her, you resent the film for being so nasty about her and suspect that behind its breezy, trendy trappings it may just be a bit square.