500 Days of Summer – Cert 12A IT S been a summer of little surprises and countless low budget, low risk films that have been mediocre at best. Last week s Away We Go is a classic example; taking the profit-making formula of Juno and Knocked Up and tried

500 Days of Summer - Cert 12A



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IT'S been a summer of little surprises and countless low budget, low risk films that have been mediocre at best. Last week's Away We Go is a classic example; taking the profit-making formula of Juno and Knocked Up and tried it again - with beige results.

And it seems, potentially, we have another release that repeats this. It's not that I especially mind lazy film-making - look past the moral issues and some really great movies have come out that do nothing to push boundaries or be original - but it leaves a bitter taste in the mouth when you're aware that you're paying for something you've seen in a different guise before.

Anyway, to 500 Days of Summer and it's credentials.

It has the new poster girl for the generation, apparently, in Zooey Deschanel and the ex-star of late 90s comedy Third Rock from the Sun. There's not much for me to gauge here as I recognise them but am unaware of their work (beyond the latter's now non-stardom since the end of the intergalactic sitcom).

Director Marc Webb is new in the directorial scene, with one little known picture under his belt and a slew of work with some pretty hip bands (like 3 Doors Down and Green Day).

So it's with little thought either way with this. The romantic overlay, the trailer suggesting a funnier Garden State perhaps, leaves me optimistic but cautious.

I like romantic comedies... but not when I'm going alone. This quiet dedication to review-writing astounds me.

Thoughts Afterwards

I do love to be surprised by new releases and have my expectations up in a wave of positive thoughts.

(500) Days Of Summer done just that, proving that injecting a little bit of honesty into a piece can transform mediocrity into a subtle gem.

The simple story of one man's infatuation with his work secretary, the blossoming good times and the truth of how things actually work played out really well.

We skip across different points of their time together and learn the bitter truths of love in a modern age. We are taught how love is ultimately defined by music and movies (a sadly mis-interupted viewing of The Graduate in this case). We learn that every day together is not what 99 per cent of the rom-coms suggest; that comfortably mediocrity is just as important as moments of sparkling romance.

The performances throughout the film were wonderfulfully likeable and naturalistic.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt played the part of the guy perfectly and his story, which this ultimately is, is one of loss and ultimate triumph.

Zooey Deschanel plays Summer to perfection and many, many of the lingering shots on her prove that this is a vehicle to her inevitable stardom in the future. This movie was as much a love story for the actress and the screen as it was for the two protagonists.

Funny, charming and adorable; this is destined to top future lists as the best in it's genre. Certain parts reminded me a lot of Amelie in fact, but without the fairytale element the French classic had. (500) Days Of Summer stays grounded to reality and tells us it as it is - that love is as confusing as it is rewarding.

If you miss this at the big screen then don't worry, this is the perfect movie to have on your DVD shelf. Great to see with your partner, your friends or just your cat - this is definitely up there as one of my favourite movies of the year and I've already pre-ordered it to see again.

TIM LINCE

5/5 Stars