500 Days of Summer [film]

"It is not a love story," the film itself says so. Well, it isn't a formulaic Hollywood romantic comedy. It's still a story about love, though. The film follows a young man, Tom and his memory of his time with the girl he loves, Summer. Tom believes all the romantic notions like love at the first sight etc. Summer doesn't have much faith in love.

Even though Tom's younger sister doesn't have a lot of screen time, I like her character. She seems older than her age and makes Tom look naive. While Tom insists that Summer is the love of his life. His sister tells him that she may not be his best match. And I agree with her. Maybe I just think more like Summer.

One interesting aspect is the story isn't told in chronological order. The film uses a number to indicate which day it is since Tom has met Summer. Sometimes the film jumps forward and back to different days to show contrast on the different stages of their relationship. It's quite unusual that the audience is shown that they're going to break up early in the film.

The film uses various styles in some scenes. There is a sequence that shows Tom's expectation and what actually happens in two split screens. There is a sequence with singing and dancing. There is a scene that turns into a hand drawn sketch. Besides the plot, the various styles keep the movie interesting.

I enjoyed it. Though I probably don't relate to Tom and Summer's relationship as much as some other audience does, I like the story, its style and its pace. I like the female lead, too. Zooey Deschanel has lovely eyes.

LC rates: 4 stars