Relationships are complicated. Plain and simple.
(This coming from a guy who hasn’t been in one since high school.)
I think my/our generation is confused when it comes understanding what love really is. While music and movies paint a rosy picture of “finding the one” and living happily ever after, the reality is that nearly half of our families have been split apart by divorce… and the way we look at relationships and love has been tainted as a result.
They say that you can see questions our culture is asking through the art it creates… movies, music, literature… and over the past few years I feel like there have been a few movies that are clearly articulating some profound questions we’re asking when it comes to love and relationships.
(500) Days of Summer is one of them.
Being a hopeless romantic (and a dude) it was interesting that this movie which would appear to have all of the trappings of a classic “chick flick,” is actually more about the story from the guy’s perspective. It focuses more on his emotions, feelings, highs and lows, and his experience of battling with the questions he’s asking of himself, his purpose and relationships.
I loved this movie for many reasons but here’s a few…
- It’s real. Plain and simple. I felt awkward in the awkward moments. I felt the emotions of the characters. It wasn’t a pretty package, it was painfully real.
- Actors were fantastic. I’ll be honest, I’ve had a crush on Zooey Deschanel since I saw her in Elf. And Joseph Gordon-Levitt? I don’t think I’ve seen him since 3rd Rock From the Sun, oh yeah… I went there. (French Stewart, anyone?) Anyway… I digress. They were a winning combo had a great thing going on screen.
- The soundtrack is phenomenal. Regina Spektor, Feist, Simon & Garfunkle. How can you go wrong?
- It was creative storytelling. The way they told the story was sooooooo creative. It wasn’t start to finish, it was non-linear and all over the place. They so creatively unfolded the story and characters. Pay attention to details if you go to see it.
- There’s a few surprises. (SPOILER ALERT, SPOILER ALERT… like a breakout scene from a musical. Hilarious!)
- Cinematography, although I’m not an expert, was great. They did some creative stuff, like a split screen between “expectations” and “reality” that I think is painfully real for a lot of us.
Bottom line… this movie, more than others I’ve seen, really does articulate the confusing mess that is love and relationships in our modern context. Full of
I was having dinner with some friends recently and one of them said sometimes you have to “give up your right to the bow”… meaning you can’t always package things nicely. Sometimes things have to be left undone… messy, incomplete… and too often I think movies present a pretty package… but (500) Days of Summer really tells it how it is… and I’ll let you see it for yourself to see how it wraps up!
