In a world transcribed by happily-ever-afters, Marc Webb's postmodern love story 500 Days of Summer transcends that simple claim, showing that in the real world, things don't always come together as well as we originally thought.
Brought to life by two powerful performances from Joseph Gordon-Lovitt and Zooey Deschanel, 500 Days of Summer is full of life, love and the tribulations that always follow. But more than the characters or story, the way that director Marc Webb brings the journey to life helps give the unique film a much needed sharp edge.
Starting off after the breakup and constantly venturing into numerous days of the relationship, the film starts fresh right out of the gate. The constant wavering between depressed and uplifting spirits keeps the audience on their toes, allowing them to piece together the final stages of the romance long before the events occur on screen.
Mixed within the context of the story are numerous subtle moments of comedy. The jokes, often unexpected, occur in everyday conversation, bringing about the forgotten truth of everyday humor. The effects are astonishing as you become intrenched within the onscreen personalities, often feelings as if you are an innocent friend intertwined with the story. It is an unbelievable state of involvement, one that is hardly achieved, but in the end, its simple success speaks volumes for both the film and cast in question.
But the film isn't without faults. Constant and even-flowing, the picture ultimately outruns its story by about ten minutes, including an awkward confrontation during the movie's final moments. The interaction, going against what was started nearly an hour and a half before, will look awkward as two past lovers work to overlook the heartache and focus in on the better of the situation. The hesitation doesn't come close to ruining the film, but it is one of the few flaws that prevent 500 Days of Summer from being straight-up perfect.
But in the end, the tag lines says it all: Boy meets Girl...Boy falls in love...Girl doesn't. For in this tale of role reversal, real life plays home and we all realize that in the big scheme of things, fate is stronger than any amount of will or way.
