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One of the first things you are told about this movie when you watch it (or the trailer for that matter) is that it is not a love story.  I suppose that it’s not, given that love stories usually require reciprocation and happy endings.  But while it’s not a love story, it is a story that’s easy to fall in love with.

Tom Hansen and Summer Finn are two very quirky and endlessly likable characters who seem to remind us all of someone similar in our lives.  Through the film’s ups and downs, and the sweet and bitter moments of their relationship, I was always intrigued to see how they would deal with each situation, and how that would ultimately define and affect their relationship.  The film succeeds greatly in the scenes when Tom and Summer are first exploring their new found “relationship” with each other, as the sense of excitement and tenderness really pulls you in.  Conversely, when things go wrong, you feel just as alienated and confused as Tom does.

The shift in time from the earlier days to the latter days also adds a great comedic element, providing humorous and ironic shifts in tone and circumstance that are ultimately very successful for the film.  Additionally, the film also takes liberties with certain genre conventions, and isn’t afraid to burst out into song and dance, or sink into the artsy and obscure styles of film making as a means of expressing Tom’s state of mind.  Also, the soundtrack and visual style and themes really add an extra level of depth to the story and characters that makes the film even more engaging.

(500) Days of Summer left me rife with feelings that took me a couple of days to really sift through and sort out, and even then, I’m still not entirely sure how I feel.  Ultimately, there is a lot of emotion put on screen, and the frequent jumps back and forth from bliss to sorrow really took a toll on me emotionally.  But after walking out, I knew that I loved the film, despite having a deep feeling of sadness.  Most viewers should be able to find something, if not several things that they will love about the film.  It’s one of the most unique, quirky, well told, and emotionally charged romantic comedies that I’ve seen in the past decade, and I highly recommend it.

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