Film Review: (500) Days of Summer

Unknown to my acquaintances, my wife excepted, I am a romantic movie enthusiast. ‘Before Sunset’ in 2004 and its predecessor, ‘Before Sunrise’, 9 years previously, are my go-to examples of post-modern romance at its best. Both starred Ethan Hawke and Julie Delphy, and were essentially talking heads pieces, with a cast of 2, musing on the happenings in their world as they wander, seemingly aimlessly, through an exotic European city.

(500) Days of Summer, delves into perhaps one of the most difficult movie genres to pull off; the romantic comedy. ‘When Harry Met Sally’ is, sadly, one of the few examples during the last 25 years of it working. But that was a long time ago. I have not seen it for some time and I imagine Meg Ryan’s 80’s hair may now preclude me from classing this as romantic comedy genius.

Quite frankly, so burned have I been by recent romance DVD choices, that I have steered well clear of them unless presented with documentary evidence of a minimum 4 star review in a respected publication. To show how wrong a romantic comedy can go, I recommend for pure cringe value, ‘I Hate Valentine’s Day’. This film had promising pedigree, being the creation of Nia Vardolos, who you will remember from the acceptable ‘My Big Fat Greek Wedding’. Valentine’s Day, without question wins my film turkey of the year award. With a couple of months left in the year I remain confident it will not be surpassed in complete cinematic incompetence and absence of quality in all senses of the word. Truly, truly appalling.

So finally to the primary subject of this review, (500) Days of Summer. There is much to like about this film. It’s quirky but not too clever, with excellent performances, particularly Zooey Deschanel, as the vagueish, mysterious, yet very likeable (and loveable) woman who commands the male protagonist’s (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) attention so completely. Classic in look and mood, this film hints occasionally of an old fashioned romance, but unobtrusively so. Despite the old world feel however, it is unmistakeably contemporary.

Romantic comedies will never be Oscar winners. But equally, there is no excuse for the formulaic schmaltz we are all too often served by movies of this type. Uncommonly, but thankfully, (500) Days of Summer delivers the opposite; in spades.