500 Days of Summer review

The moment I saw the trailer for the film "500 Days of the Summer," my reaction would be best epitomized with a line from that 1980s cult classic "Heathers" (another one aimed at that singular teenage/young adult audience): "Gag me with a spoon."

You couldn't get more "indie" cutesy than the set-up of perpetually babyfaced Joseph Gordan Levitt (who has stepped up into manhood these past few years, age has been rather favorable to the former child star) and alternative darling Zooey Deschanel, stuck together in an elevator, with The Smiths' "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" as accompaniment.

"I love this song," she confesses to our hero, Mr. Levitt. She confesses with that doe-eyed stare, that slightly goofy smile, straight out of a Disney movie.

He seems bemused. The Smiths?

He is thinking. How can she have heard of a band so totally obscure? Bemused, but also smitten.

And thus. Gag.

However, "(500) Days of Summer," the feature film debut of director Marc Webbs, isn't as saccharine as the previews would like you to believe (thank god).

Actually, it's a refreshing detour from the average population of romantic comedies, which you can navigate through with your eyes closed nowadays.

The film doesn't fit chronological order and is the most realistic look at modern love I can recall encountering in a good while (at least in mainstream cinema).

It's a bit disorienting and jarring at times, but when you've approached the actual 500th day of Summer's reign, things feel like they make sense.

The basic plot is as follows: romantic Tom (Levitt) is drawn to Summer (Deschanel), the assistant of his boss at a greeting card company (and again, gag!).

He is swept up by a vision built on a misinterpretation of the ending of "The Graduate" (on a personal note, I also misread that ending!) and the lyrics of countless Britpop musicians.

It turns out, though, that Summer doesn't feel this same vibe. She carries herself with an interesting air of independence, especially for the female lead in a "romantic comedy" (although at times I believe this delved into "dramedy" territory). Coming from a broken home, her view of romance is that of a more cynical nature.

Still though, boys are drawn to her like ants to a picnic basket. And Tom is just one of them, but he likes to picture it differently. He likes to picture it like fate.

The two, as shown in a series of flashbacks, undergo an interesting non-relationship. Summer isn't looking for something serious; Tom envisions a sweeping musical scene set to Hall and Oates after the first time they sleep together.

Things are hunky-dory for a while; the two enter Swedish furniture haven IKEA and pretend to be a married couple, settling down for the evening. Things begin to progress in a direction that Tom isn't comfortable with, but he's too caught up in his illusions to catch on to Summer's discontent.

Or perhaps he is too wrapped up in denial. The scenes at IKEA? Not so sweet. Summer walks away, bored.

So as the tagline reads, "(500) Days of Summer" is no love story, but a story about love. Tom is determined to win her back, examining the relationship from every angle to find out what went wrong and how he can fix it.

But then there is no way to fix it. The thing just ran its course and Tom must deal with that.

Summer is never fully vilified, which is essential to keeping the film at a relatable level. And the techniques that Webb utilized, such as homages to films like "The Seventh Seal" worked to the fullest effect, giving the film a much-needed quirkiness.

Despite this though, I couldn't get over the feeling there was something desperately amateurish to the whole production.

Disregarding the film's message, that sometimes love is temporary and just maybe one-sided, let's face it, Deschanel and Levitt look so damn cute together. They could get married and have puppies for babies.

However, the soundtrack which shines with tracks from Feist, Carla Bruni, The Temper Trap and Regina Spektor, often steals the spotlight from the actors.

Like Summer herself, the movie is hard to get out of your mind after first seeing it. You have to let it marinate to get to your final decision.

I found myself disappointed with the results at first, a bit let down by everything, but then I kept thinking- that's how life is.

Disappointments and then a new opportunity arises, like Tom is left with at the movie's conclusion, just a dash of hope. Which is what you need.

Perhaps it of interest to mention that "(500) Days of Summer" has its roots in the realities of one of its writers, as shown by a subtitle that is displayed across the screen in the beginning, where a girl, now proven to be real, named Jenny Beckman, is called out ('especially you, Jenny Beckman!")

Apparently one of the writers was not able to let his personal Summer go, even years later.

I wouldn't know what that's like, Joe Koe, you asshole.

Final Pitchfork Rating: 8.9 out of 11.00

SEPTEMBER 11, 2009