The Case for Summer Loving

I was surprised by the way (500) Days of Summer seems to be received so differently by so many people. Friends who had seen it before I did had markedly contrasting opinions of it, and while the people I went to see the film with were not quite to vehement, there were definite “good film” and “bad film” camps.

It may not have been the “reinvention of the rom com” film some quarters have called it, but (500) Days of Summer is definitely a quirky take on the genre. A time-jumping storyline, odd camera angles, sidebars into fantasy and a great dance number in the middle of the film (Fame could have used one of those – several really) are all tricks used in every episode of Scrubs. And drunken karaoke is very Wedding Singer.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt, taking a break from commanding Cobra, is always very easy to watch and is great as the hapless romantic Tom Hansen (wasn't he in 21 Jump Street?), while Zooey Deschanel seems to be channelling herself as his off-the-wall non-committal love interest. All the other characters are background, used for one comic effect or another, including a fairly disturbing turn from Tom’s young, Yoda-wise sister, and they float in and out of the camera to serve a purpose and then are banished to limbo to await their next summoning.

Similarly, there is no “realism” to the story: jobs are worked to add humour value; lack of a job does not impact on one’s financial situation; and everything is connected to and by a very cool, not terribly mainstream (but very sellable) sound track.

But that is the cynic in me. At the time, and in the moment (in the Embassy on a leather seat too, no less), the film was a lot of fun, easy on the brain and yet not insultingly so. I didn’t end up really feeling for the characters, but that is not a fault of the actors, as the problem with introducing so much levity and so many tricks is that it is very hard to make the audience really find any situation sad on anything but an intellectual level. But the lows are brief, the humour good natured and the jokes work – aided no doubt by the brilliant cast.

Verdict: (500) Days of Summer is a light hearted comedy, though perhaps not really a date movie. I think your enjoyment of it will depend on how you view Zooey Deschanel ’s character, but the hopeless romantic in me found smiling throughout the film, and even during the nauseatingly “twee” ending. 400 out of 500 days.
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And as an aside, my own surprise at the decision to award the Nobel Peace prize is nothing in comparison with what is happening out there, it seems. The Nobel Obama decision continues to cause controversy, with judges being asked to justify their decision. The reasons offered so far don't really convince me.