500 days of summer

A done-to-death romantic comedy – that’s what “500 of days of Summer” is for you. Except that here it is the girl who decides to walk away since she doesn’t want anything that is even remotely serious or committed. Inspite of this so-called different and unique ending, the movie bleeds of pure, unadulterated, candy-floss romance. Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel, the movie is a hardly melodramatic rom-com that does kind of manage to make you feel sad as it progresses.


Boringly enough, Gordon-Levitt or Tom as he is called in the movie works as a writer in a greeting card company. Now, this is where he meets Summer (Zooey Deschanel) who joins the company as the boss’s assistant. With his impeccable charm and surprisingly deep voice, Tom manages to woo the slightly distant Summer. The two come across as a very next-door believable couple and it does surprise the audience when you see that they don’t really end up together. Their romance progresses from a sweet kiss to something more serious, at least in Tom’s view. Tom is a firm believer of true love, soulmates and all that is propagated by the greeting cards. Summer on the other hand, is hardly keen to pursue anything serious but definitely wants to be in Tom’s company most of the time. Not so strangely, Tom starts to believe that Summer is falling in love with him too (well, aren’t we surprised?). Right from the beginning of the movie, you get to know what is going to happen to the couple. It is way too predictable and that is where the movie gets to a zilch. By dealing with an over-used concept in movies, the director makes an otherwise good-looking movie a disappointment.
One of the other things that doesn’t work too well are the ways the characters of the protagonists have been sketched. Summer has been shown to be lacking any sort of professional pursuits or for that matter, any other creative inclinations. She is a pretty and cute object of affection and crush of our hero, Tom. Tom, on the other hand, is shown to be the confused guy who isn’t doing much with his life and also, feels like his life revolves around Summer once she enters his life. It would have been nice if the director would have spent a little more time detailing out the characters and giving them the extra dimension they so much needed.
One thing that particularly stands out for me in the movie is the scene in which the protagonists go over to a home depot and spend their time trying to play-enact what they believe is a intricate version of how home life should be. Bah! The scene holds as much interest as stubbing my toe on the side-board of my bed. It was painful, excruciating and drab. No wonder Zooey has switched over to the tube, thank God for small mercies!