"500 Days of Summer" - Movie Review

An absolute wonderful movie, 500 Days of Summer may be my favorite romance I've seen in years. Here you have the usual boy meets girl, boy falls for girl, girl falls for boy storyline. And even in the beginning, you're told that this is not a love story. But it is. Kind of.

The story follows Tom, a greeting card writer who should be an architect, and Summer, the intern that he immediately falls for. He's always believed in destiny and love. Her, not so much. But together they find something in each other. And then it goes away. What makes "500 Days" so refreshing is, in a sense, everything about it. The dialogue is crisp and real. It actually sounds like real people in real life talking. Go figure. And those random moments you imagine happening around you that never quite match up to your reality? We see those through Tom's eyes as well. The story is also told out of order, jumping from one day to the next, from, say Day 275 to 12 then to 185 and then 2. It's unconventional, and every moment of it's sweetness and romanticism is earned by a top notch directing job, great screenplay, and great performance after great performance. And when it's harsh reality sinks in, it's even more devastating. Plus, find a movie lately that has made Los Angeles look so lovely. I dare you.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt continues his streak of fantastic characters on screen with Tom, and he charms you, especially in scenes like when he first has sex and ends up in a full blown musical dance number. Zooey Deschanel may be one of the most effortless actresses of her generation. She doesn't beg to charm you, she just does. You feel Joseph's heartbreak with him, you feel Zooey's "little lost girl" reaching out, and you experience it all with them. This is how a romantic comedy should be made. This is it. Are you listening Hollywood? No, you're probably not. But that won't stop me from yelling it... - A+