First off, let me start by telling you I rarely connect to movies in a meaningful way. This isn't because film doesn't have to capacity to move me, but that most films are cookie-cutter, shallow presentations of defined genres. For this movie, that was not the case.(500) Days of Summer, starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt (that kid from Angels in the Outfield!) and Zooey Deschanel (one of the most beautiful women on the earth IMO), is a romantic-comedy from a guy's perspective. That last part is very important.
A quick summary of this movie is Boy meets Girl, Boy falls in love with Girl, Girl breaks Boy's heart, and somewhat of a resolution. I don't want to give too much away for those who plan on seeing this movie. This film uses very creative transitions and filler scenes to convey the wide array of emotions that the main character, Tom, experiences. On top of the creative non-linear progression of the movie and the fact it is from a guy's perspective, the movie also has a great soundtrack.
What I've noticed recently is that most good soundtracks within movies do not translate nearly as well outside of the context of the scenes they were intended for. Examples of this include Garden State, Juno, and more recently, Where The Wild Things Are. Now don't get me wrong; all of these movies have some great artists and songs on their soundtracks. However, without the constant driving of the plot and dialogue of the movie, the songs seem to lose their connection to each other.
Regardless, the movie has become one of my favorites of all time and should not be thought of as a chick flick before further investigation. If you would rather watch movies that can help you escape from reality rather than reflecting it back onto you, this movie may not be your type.
FINAL RATING FOR (500) Days of Summer: 5/5 Stars
-Marcus
I gotta say, there were two movies this summer whose soundtracks were really at the pinnacle. Inglorious Basterds (expect a post when the dvd comes out) and this film right here. Basterds because Tarantino, as always found the best music for his film, giving it a really cool Spaghetti Western vibe, and (500) Days of Summer because it worked so well as a separate piece of work as well as in the context of the film. Great Post.
ReplyDeleteTarantino does seem to craft his soundtracks around his movies very well. I think certain scenes wouldn't have nearly the same impact on the audience without those songs. It's just another bullet point to add to his brilliance.
ReplyDeleteThisis just one of many interesting interviews with him about how he picks his music.
ReplyDelete