(500) Days of Summer (2009)

Like ever other sensible guy (and some sensible girls), I have a crush on Zoey Deschanel, so being able to see her in a movie that doesn't star Will Ferrel, Mark Wahlberg or Matthew McConaughey is exciting. Ok, I'll admit to enjoying Elf, and Will Ferrel did great in Winter Passing, but being in a Wahlberg movie is inexcusable.

As usual, Deschanel's usual, robotic, loveless facade is on display in its full glory. The film follows the relationship she has with former 3rd Rock From the Sun actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who has been in a few critically acclaimed indie flix I need to see, but loses points for being in the new GI Joe movie. Again, inexcusable.

The film's format is one of its best strengths. Rather than chronologically, the story bounces back between Gordon-Leavitt's character meeting Summer, the period of their relationship, and then his life following being dumped. What makes the film extra interesting is that it's told completely from his point of view. There is only one shot that I remember of Deschanel's character in the film when Gordon-Levitt isn't present, and that shot is the only thing in the entire film that bothered me.

Unlike most romantic comedies, this one is good. The humor is frequent and clever and the characters are engaging, likable and it's easy to relate to them (sometimes too easy, depending on your dating history). Rather than relying on the simple fact that it's not a typical film of the genre (the opening narration tells us that it is "not a love story"), the film really tells a wonderful story that ends happily in the least cheesy way possible (well, the final joke is incredibly cheesy, but provides a big laugh before the final credits). Of all the movies I've seen this year, this is the only one I will probably see again before it's out of theaters.

As an aside, my favorite scene in the film takes place when a heartbroken Levitt heads to theater. We see clips from 3 different films, and, much to my excitement, 2 of them are blatant Bergman references. This was already the best romantic comedy I have seen in an awfully long time, but adding a Persona and Seventh Seal reference just made it that much better.

Also, unlike similarly hip romantic comedies (coughgardenstatecough), this movie doesn't exist primarily as a vehicle for its soundtrack. Sure, the Regina Spektor song at the beginning is pretty noticeable (and wonderful), and the first conversation the two main characters have is about The Shins, and Levitt seems to only own Joy Division and Clash shirts, but after about 15 minutes, the director stops trying to portray them as painfully cool people. So, good for you, Mr. Director.