2 or 3 things I though about while watching “500 Days of Summer”

Someone near and dear to me has wisely advised me to watch “The Hangover” and “500 Days of Summer (“500”). Eventually I watched the first (and loved it) and now the second (and also loved it). Though one is buddy movie/comedy and the other a romantic comedy (rom com), they share a number of things and if you liked the former, I recommend you try the latter.500 is really smart. It is smart in all sorts of ways, from the title on through to the end of the film. Some of those are obvious. First up is how it plays with time. Not only from the obvious sense, of going from day 1 to day 300 and something, then back to day 100 and something, although I thought that was a great way to tell the story. But visually as well. There are any number of references to the 1960s and the 1980s.

In fact, the film has loads of references, from the film references in the black and white movie he goes to see, to the film “The Graduate” (when he first sees her in bed) to his skinny ties (from the 60s and the 80s) to his Joy Division T shirt to her 1960s haircut to the discussion of the Beatles, music by the Smiths and even Hall and Oates, etc.There are likely lots more. There was also one I really like of a bowler hat with a green apple on it that immediately made me think of Rene Magritte. I am sure there are tons more, and the person who did the art direction should get an award.

The film also plays around nicely with visual representation. It uses split screen well (it reminded me of the 1960s, though I am not a rom com fan, and fans of the genre might say: oh no stupid, they use that all the time), especially the “expectation / reality” scene, where it takes the mundane and makes it interesting through juxtaposition. I particularly liked how there is just a touch of animation in the film from time to time. Heck there is even a fantasy dance number! And there are lots more. Again, these are things you take for granted in a Tarantino film, but in a romantic comedy, they make it all that much better/smarter.

It is an American love film, and love is seen as all redeeming and the ultimate virtue. It has the strengths of a good comedy (good characterization, great dialogue) and suffers — and I say this as not a rom com fan — of confection such as the too die for living/working environment and the fantasy wedding scene. But hey, I love a good action film, and they suffer from their own conventional excesses. (No doubt if I were to whisper such a comment in the film, the person sitting next to me would just say “shhh!”)

I like the fact that is is set in LA, yet talks about and revers architecture and the architecture of that city. LA is not seen in the same light as NYC or Chicago or even Miami when it comes to it’s buildings and spaces, but it clearly has great architecture and it is a great city in its own right, and this film appreciates that.

There’s lots more that I could say about the film. I am writing this, though, to hear what smart people I know thought about it, rather than just broadcasting my thoughts. So lemme know whatcha thought! 🙂

When I commented that I was watching this, someone on twitter (@patrick_a7) said it is not nominated for any Oscars. That is hard to believe. It’s a really good film. As you can see, I highly recommend it.

Posted via email from Bernie Michalik’s posterous site

5 thoughts on “2 or 3 things I though about while watching “500 Days of Summer””

  1. We went to see The Hangover after being intrigued by the trailer a couple of times, but didn’t expect much more than a mindless ok-ish comedy. We were, needless to say, very pleasantly surprised. It was awesome. Really fun mature comedy. We both loved 500 too – very beautiful film in many ways, and Gordon-Levitt’s role was certainly more fitting of someone his caliber than his role in GI Joe, haha. Have you seen him in Brick? Good movie, rather sad though.

    Anyway, yes, empathised with 500 on a few levels. I like seeing movies I can relate to on a personal level. It was good. 🙂

    1. GL is an underrated, great actor. He was superb in Brick, which is brilliant film. He’s been in some other things that have also been very good. (GI Joe NOT being one of them, which as it happens to be my 7 year olds FAV movie, I have seen way more than I should have! But he was at least smart to wear a mask for most of it! :)) And of course he used to be good in Third Rock from the Sun.

  2. The movie leaves one unsatisfied, wanting more of every part and I think that this is one of its most valuable virtues. It actually break’s ones pre-assumpitons and line of thought quite convincingly, making you like it even more. I remember the scene “expectation / reality” and how within seconds of discarding it as mundane 2 camera split, was engulfed into it completely.
    And definitely you get the same feeling as the one when you see a Magritte–a certain emotive uneasiness.

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