Film Review : (500) Days Of Summer

Interviewing Quentin Tarantino a few weeks ago Jonathan Ross asked him if he was a fan of romantic comedies - or rom-com's to use the preferred bastardisation of the language. To his surprise, Tarantino said that there were many films like this that he did like. However, he pinpointed quite accrurately the downside of all of these movies which is the inevitable final fifteen minutes.

The good news is that (500) Days of Summer is just such a beast but entirely lacking that inevitable final fifteen minutes. It's promoted as not being a love story, but a story about love and that just about hits the nail on the head. It could also be described as a rom-com for people who don't like rom-com's!

It's an utterly delightful movie with two characters (played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel) that you can really empathise with and a witty and sharp script with a number of twists and turns as it goes back and forth to view the characters at different points during the titular 500 days.

Gordon-Levitt has more than a touch of the late Heath Ledger about him, and there is a very apparent chemistry between him and Zooey Deschanel which further cements your belief in these characters.

The films goes through the highs and lows of a relationship and takes the audience on the ride as well. The audience at Cineworld tonight were certainly going all the way with the characters and as well as chuckles at all the right points, they clearly shared the disappointments along the way.

It would be difficult to provide much more information about the film without revealing more of the plot, and I think this is a film best seen without too much other than an understanding of the basic premise. But what I would stress is that this is a film that you should make the opportunity to see - it's warm, witty, sad, mournful and utterly life-affirming. And all with an indie-centric soundtrack (where The Smiths and Belle And Sebastian loom large).

Whatever you do, though, don't let any prejudice against romantic comedy stand in your way of catching this.

And I've got through this without making any salacious remarks about Zooey Deschanel!