The movie's title doesn't actually refer to the season of summer, but to a woman in which Tom, (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) our protagonist, loves and is obsessed over during those 500 days. No other woman catches his fancy. There's just something about Summer. (Zooey Deschanel)

Instead of the film telling its story chronologically, the (specific) days are shown non-linearly. We know right off the bat Tom and Summer's so-called "friendship", since this isn't a love story, doesn't work out. Naturally, we go back to when they first met, when they became *ahem* intimate, and so on. Although Summer says she isn't looking for anything close, the two get along practically like boyfriend and girlfriend.

In addition to the title, the story, and the non-linear timeline, the film shows it's offbeat with whimsical and funny moments like a scene that depicts reality and fantasy at the same time. Luckily, these moments only happen occasionally, so they don't draw too much attention to themselves. The movie is clearly more concerned about character development. There are lots of other funny moments surrounding conversations (à la Knocked Up) and everyday-like incidents.

(500) Days of Summer is really well acted. While watching it, I didn't even think about the acting. I thought of the characters as if they were real people. That's acting at its best. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, particularly, continues to amaze me, as he did in Mysterious Skin and The Lookout. If he doesn't get nominated for an Oscar for this film, he should be in the near future.

Unfortunately, the ending is somewhat predictable and maybe even a tad unrealistic. One or two of those whimsical moments did feel a little redundant for me. But otherwise, (500) Days of Summer is a (really) good directorial debut for Mark Webb.

8/10

[ View more in Movies & TV ][ View all News & Blogs ]