What is it about love and relationships that make it seem so difficult and so impossible at times?
If you haven't seen 500 Days of Summer yet, you're in for a delightful surprise. I popped in this DVD last night and fell in love with every last bit of it. Yes, I've always been sucker for a good romantic comedy (what girl isn't?), but this one was refreshingly unconventional. It's one of those off-beat, indie style films (think Once, The Girlfriend Experience... although not completely comparable..) that refuses to have a sunshine-and-lollipops type of Hollywood ending.
The film is speckled with charming bits of humour but is also woven with substantial themes regarding the unromantic realities of real-life love and relationship. Tom, the main character, falls head of heels for this new girl. And I mean, head. over. heels. One look at his crooked smile and his dopey face and you know there's no bringing this dude back. Okay, so it sounds a little cheesy, but honestly it's really hard not to like his character. Tom is about twenty-three, twenty-four in the film (about the age of a young professional) but his heart is like that of a ten year old; he has the kind of naivity and sincerity that leaves you sinking lower into your couch, heaving a big sigh and crossing your fingers for him.
What I liked most about the film was how relatable it was - the characters, the story, the manner in which the story was told, the distinct lack of sugar-coating behind the messages... Mind you, it was still a romantic comedy so it didn't end completely in tears and ashes. In fact, they did a pretty neat job of tying the ending together and overall, it would still be worth watching the film again just for the funny bits.
Can I just mention here how adorable the couple is together? Oh, and not to mention Zooey Deschanel's fantastic vintage wardrobe, complete with 1960s-styles skirts and ruffles, long, bangs and large doe-eyes that make her seem as if she just waltzed out from pages of a children's storybook. Throughout the movie, I kept thinking, "Wow, she looks so amazing. I want to wear that. And that. And that. And that." ....only it was like deja vu of when I soak in Gossip Girl fashion: I love it all, but I wouldn't be able to pull it off in nearly the same class . Part of what made Zooey look so amazing in the film was that her look was just on par with the character she was portraying.
Interestingly enough, a common theme in Zooey's look was the colour blue, which had to do with her blue eyes, as I discovered through this article.
Oh, the soundtrack was also great. I recommend it if you liked the soundtrack from Garden State. Overall, this film definitely gets a place on my top faves list.
