500 Days of Summer review

500 Days of Summer stars Joseph Gordon Levitt as the likeable Tom, a Smiths devotee who writes greeting card slogans for a living and is on an eternal quest to meet ‘The One’. He soon sets his sights on the Summer of the title, Zooey Deschanel, when she joins the greeting card company. The movie plays out like a left-of-centre mix of Memento, Say Anything and Stranger than Fiction, jumping back and forward through the 500 days that Tom has known Summer, and filling in the blanks that lead to their break-up (where the movie begins). The leads and supporting cast are generally likeable (although Deschanel can be a matter of taste for some people), and deliver nicely judged performances.
The soundtrack is strong if largely familiar, featuring the Smiths (of course), Pixies, Temper Trap, Feist, Doves and Hall & Oates (oh yes!) among others. While not reinventing the wheel, 500 Days of Summer is a light yet intelligent, enjoyable watch, well handled by Mark Webb, who has previously only directed music videos. While it won’t be to everyone’s taste (it is still basically a romantic comedy/drama, if a rather good one), 500 Days is a bittersweet treat. Released on September 2nd.