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(500) Days of Summer is a film with probably the catchiest title around. Say it out loud, but ignore the parentheses. Five-Hundred-Days-of-Summer. It rolls of the tongue quite nicely. There is something incredibly comforting about a good title. I have no doubt that the film’s success is in some part to do with its title.

But that is not all that the film has going for it. Though it is a romance, albeit a failed one, and a comedy, the film thankfully rejects the generic conventions of the Hollywood Romantic Comedy. And that is refreshing. (500) Days of Summer is proof that a love story does not have to be mindless, merely ticking the required boxes. Even more refreshing is that the whole point of the film is to recognise that sometimes (well, most of the time) romance does not end with the happily ever after Hollywood would have us believe. Actually, the film enjoys playing with precisely the dichotomy between the reality of love and the fantasy of film making. (As we will see, this is the films greatest strength and its greatest weakness).

Yet the film is incredibly engaging, thanks mostly to a wonderfully warm performance by Joseph Gordon-Levitt. There is an underdog quality about him that has the audience rooting for him right from the start.

The film revels in its ‘indie-ness,’ sometimes perhaps a little too much. However, the scene where Tom strolls down the street only to be joined by a fully fledged dancing ensemble, marching band and an animated bird ala Disney’s Snow White, is a heck of a lot of fun.

I had all but given up on the Hollywood Romantic Comedy. I resented the portrayal of neurotic/ crazy/ psychotic women who could only find happiness/ completeness/ direction by having a boyfriend/ fiancé/ husband.

But (500) Days of Summer manages to avoid this with a nice gender role reversal. It is Tom who is the believer in True Love, endlessly searching for ‘the one.’ Summer needs to be convinced.

As enjoyable as this role reversal is, it is not without its problems. Summer, in particular, is a victim of the aforementioned fantasy/ reality dynamic that characterises the film. Summer exists in Tom’s world only as a fantasy. Look no further than her plaid fifties style dresses and the ribbons in her hair for evidence of this.

The film is unable to reconcile the projection of this fantasy with the dramatic shift in her character in the final act of the film. Her shift from sceptic to romantic is underdeveloped and sits awkwardly with the rest of the film. Her explanation of this shift to Tom seems somehow unsatisfactory. Instead of understanding Summer, the audience still thinks of her as a bit of a cow who broke Tom’s heart, Part of the problem, of course is Zooey Deschanel. I never could understand the appeal of either of the Deschanel sisters. Both have beautiful blue eyes that somehow always manage to seem vacant, and a nasally voice that never exudes anything beyond monotone.

(500) Days of Summer is light without being unintelligent. Funny without being silly. Rewarding without it being served to you on a platter.

Should I See It?

Sure. Perfect Date Movie.