(500) Days of Summer (2009) review

(10/10)

This has to be one of the most charming films of the 2000s.

PLOT:Tom Hanson (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) has been a lonely man for a while. He works at a greeting card factory, wants to be an architect, and is really into brit-pop such as The Smiths. One day, his boss hires a new assistant from Michigan named Summer Finn (Zooey Deschanel). Her beliefs are very deep, her favorite Beatle is Ringo Starr, and she also likes The Smiths. As soon as Tom sees her, he falls in love with her. However, we know from the start that this is not a love story and that this potential love doesn't last, and depression sets in pretty quick. It's a very simple plot idea executed wonderfully and uniquely.



ACTING:Every performance in here was great without a doubt. Gordon-Levitt and Deschanel have such chemistry in here that it's impossible not to want a relationship like they had until the breakup came. The other shiners are Geoffrey Arend as McKenzie, Matthew Gray Gubler as Paul, and Chloe Moretz as Rachel Hanson. For a kid, Moretz did a hilarious jon as Rachel.

SCORE:The soundtrack is made up of many alternative artists such as The Smiths (of course), Regina Spektor, Feist, Wolfmother, to classic rock such as Hall & Oates and Simon & Garfunkel. It's one of my favorite soundtracks. I love how they seem to effortlessly match the mood of the film at the right time as well.



OTHER CONTENT:This film is charming, deep, meaningful, hilarious, realistic, and overall just well done. I believe I'm new to Marc Webb's direction style, but from this I can already tell that I love it. Every scene and all the organization is filmed in such unique ways that it comes off as artistically beautiful. I might have to look into some of his films. Not to mention, I can relate to this film in the way of losing a crush/love and being ultimately friendzoned. I found a great connection with this film, and that's one of the main reasons why I liked it as much as I did.

OVERALL,an epic breakup film with a wonderfully executed plot, great acting, one of my favorite soundtracks, overflowing charm, lots of meaning and realism, a good bit of hilarity, unique direction, and a spiritual connection to which I can relate.