(500) Days of Summer

Finally a romantic comedy that actually reflects what a real relationship is like. The ups the downs and the heartache that comes with a relationship. It took me the entire summer to see this movie but i was finally able to see it and it lived up to the Sundance hype.
The narrator provides the inner workings of Joseph Gordon-Levitt stating that this is not a love story, and I understand what new director Marc Webb is trying to do, to make sure that the audience gets the point by reinforcing ideas. But the visual aspects of the story really takes care of all that the narrator has to say. I do love the disclaimer at the beginning of the movie and it helps to set the tone early.
The leads are fantastic and charming. It would seem at first sight that these hipsters are perfect for each other. Zooey Deschane once again plays an apathetic charming love interest. It would be nice if for once she could get a role with more to it, but her type casting seems to work here. But I know she can do more. And can Joseph Gordon-Levitt do wrong. Well, yes. We all need to get paid right (read: GI Joe). But movies like this and Brick reassure me that this actor can do a lot and picks scripts that have some real substance to it.
We quickly see the beginning and end(ish) of the relationship early in the movie. The question soon becomes not what is going to happen, but how did we get here. The journey is revealed in a non-linear format with the story shifting from the good times to the bad. The structure helps to maintain the suspense and each scene seems juxtaposed brilliantly to one another.
Webb also uses some wonderfully quirky tools to convey his story which also helps with the tone. Such as a musical dance number right after the two make love for the first time. And Webb chooses none other than Hall & Oates, and what says love more than Hall & Oates. It also uses a split screen to differentiate between what Tom, portrayed by Gordon-Levitt, expects to happen and what actually happens. And we have all done this, had a belief of how life would go but it goes in a horrible different direction.
That is why this movie works, it is not about some hunk who finally realizes the girl of his dreams was his best friend. And there is no last minute chance for redemption. Someone winds up caring too much and leaves someone hurt and bruised. This is a reflection of real life romance and that may be why leave some people don't like it. People have this idea that romantic comedies have to be based in a dream world, this movie doesn't do that but still uses some aspects of the genre, that is why this movie works. B+