There is a film that will never go out...

(500) Days of Summer – Marc Webb

With the reference to The Smiths in the title, you know this film has had impact on me. So much so where i can safely say i will be buying the soundtrack and the DVD when it comes out. I’ll tell my friends to buy them both. I’ll tell my family to buy them. I’ll even tell total strangers about (500) Days of Summer because it deserves it. It deserves to be known. It’s a romantic comedy made for any audience. It’s not catered just for women, it’s for men too. And for that, i salute it. It has the balls to say no to the stereotypes, yeah, sure it may have good looking leads in typically situations and everything, there is the loving part and then there is the hate or the chase, but it does it in the perspective of the man. It’s rare. It’s on par with The Notebook. Yeah, it’s that good.

So the story is of a intelligent, geeky writer in a greeting cards company, played by the immensely talented Joseph Gordon Levitt, named Tom Hansen. The film’s structure is very linear and follows throughout the relationship of Tom and Summer in 500 days. The plot switches to different times in the relationship from day 26 to day 450 and so forth. Summer Finn, played by the gorgeous Zooey Deschanel, is introduced into Tom’s life as his boss’s new assistant. After an instant attraction for her, he begins to woo her. The film tells the story of the relationship, through the highs and lows. It may be a very simple plot. But it’s cleverly told with parts that haven’t been used before in romantic comedies. It stomps on those clichés and delivers an honest piece of American filmmaking.

The influences from the music is clearly shown throughout, using references to popular culture and featuring a soundtrack full of a mix of emotional songs throughout the ages including new hits such as The Temper Trap, a song that was my song of 2009. It fitted perfectly. Marc Webb, an unknown name to many people, but his work is mainly based in music videos from the Used to Yellowcard to many, many names. He recently has been snapped up for the reboot of Spider-Man, something I’m shocked about, but if there was anyone who could capture the teenage angst with being a superhuman and having to let go of his personal life, Webb could be the one to do it. More based on the recent Spider-Man animation and comics involving Peter Parker in his younger years, it could well be a surprise hit. I hope he takes the wonderful and delicate film that is (500) Days of Summer and turns into Spider-Man, the less emo version.

8/10

Simon Childs