ViewGuide

Created Sep 07, 2009 01:46PM PST • Edited Dec 17, 2016 10:50PM PST

1. Quality

2. Summary

   Very Good 3.5

   This spurned love story succeeds by being insistently charming and more than occasionally funny. Cleverly conceived, crisply executed and charismatically performed, (500) Days of Summer is a small joy of a movie. Plus you’ve got to love the terrific dance number that brightens up the middle reel.

   On the downside, leading lady Zooey Deschanel proves an acquired taste, while the extended dithering that make up the core of the story runs right up to the edge of annoying.

   Still, damn fine date movies are worth celebrating, as is Summer of any length or form.

4. Acting

   Very Good 3.5

   Joseph Gordon-Levitt winningly plays the lovelorn dude and even anchors a surprisingly effective dance routine. Coming on top of his effective turn as a psychotic killer in last year’s Killshot, he’s clearly a star with significant latitude and charisma.

   Zooey Deschanel’s phlegmatic delivery and ordinary looks make her an acquired taste, though her quirky voice goes a long way towards making her interesting.

   A handful of supporting players distinguish themselves.

   • Chloe Moretz jumps off the screen as the unnaturally precocious kid sister.
   • Clark Gregg, the ex from TV’s The New Adventures of Old Christine, naturally plays the nice guy boss.
   • Minka Kelly from TV’s Friday Night Lights is always a welcome sight.
   • Richard McGonagle’s offscreen narration adds gravitas to the proceedings. His long career includes many cartoon voices, so he must sound reassuring to the twentysomethings who will most relate to this movie.

5. Male Stars Really Great 4.5

6. Female Stars Very Good 3.5

7. Female Costars Good 3.0

8. Male Costars Good 3.0

10. Film

    Great 4.0

    It’s a treat to be entertained by filmmaking both inventive and old fashioned. The frequent time shifts were clearly and humorously signaled by a consistent title card mechanism, the offscreen narration was very effective and the delightfully retro dance number worked harmoniously with the rest of the relatively conventional narrative style.

    The rookie creative team behind this movie clearly have 500 days of summer ahead of them in their careers.

11. Direction Really Great 4.5

    Marc Webb did a superb job crafting this rather complex film. Touches of animation, judicious use of black-and-white, plus the aforementioned dance number and time jumping: Webb effectively exhausted the filmmaker’s handbook creating his inaugural feature.

12. Play Great 4.0

    Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber conceived a clever concoction here, from the wonderful title right down to the jaw-droppingly humorous final line. Bravo.

    Of special mention is the sequence when a disconsolate spurned lover goes shopping for Jack Daniels and Twinkies in his bathrobe. Very funny.

13. Music Really Great 4.5

    Let’s hear it for dance numbers in the middle of movies. Who would have thunk it would be to Hall & Oates?

    The karaoke was pretty cool too.

14. Visuals OK 2.5

    The costumes were odd: more conservative than retro.

15. Content

16. Edge

    Tame 1.4

    A handful of off-color gags barely move the Edginess slider off its Tame peg.

17. Sex Titillating 1.6

18. Violence Gentle 1.3

19. Rudeness Polite 1.3

21. Reality

    Natural 1.0

    Will Summer stay married? Did Tom meet his true love? Inquiring minds want a sequel.

22. Circumstantial Natural 1.0

23. Biological Natural 1.0

24. Physical Natural 1.0