A Bold and Innovative Approach to Filmmaking with (500) DAYS OF SUMMER

Fox Searchlight Pictures | 2009 | Rated PG-13 | 95 minutes

(500) DAYS OF SUMMER is not your average film. In fact, take anything that you may know about filmmaking convention and throw it out the window. This film is an enigma, constantly shifting and morphing into various forms and unable to be pinned down or diminished by a simple label. Is it a romantic comedy? No. Is it a love story? No, the narrator tells us it’s not at the beginning. So what then exactly is (500) DAYS OF SUMMER? Once again, the narrator gives us the answer. It’s just a simple story of boy meets girl.

Of course we’ve all seen that premise a myriad of times before, it’s hardly new. In fact, if you want to get right down to it, if someone asked you what ROMEO AND JULIET is about, you could simply say, “oh, it’s about a boy who meets this one girl.” Yes, the premise has been around for centuries, but honestly, we have never seen it presented exactly quite like this. Whereas most films that attempt to tackle the “boy meets girl” premise are littered with cliché and with stock characters, turning the film into nothing more than a carbon copy of all of those with similar premises who have come before, reproduced so many times that it has lost its originality and has become nothing more than a blurred out shell of no substance, (500) DAYS OF SUMMER approaches the subject matter as if it was the first time it has ever been seen on screen. The result is an exciting interpretation that shows us that there are still some in Hollywood who are willing to take risks and be innovative.

Director Marc Webb comes from the world of music videos, having previously directed videos for bands such as Green Day and 3 Doors Down. This is Webb’s first foray into feature film and (500) DAYS OF SUMMER was selected for the 2009 Sundance Film Festival this past January, and deservedly so, for Webb was able to create a film that is uniquely his own and with a voice that is fresh and not relying upon convention. The first main thing that you will learn about (500) DAYS OF SUMMER is that Webb and his editor, Alan Edward Bell, have chosen to follow a disjointed timeline, having scenes flow freely from one to the next without regard to where they fall within the 500 days that comprise the main story. There is no present time to relate to in the linear sense, but rather, we are allowed to experience all 500 days simultaneously, and experience the full range of their emotions from one moment to the next. Webb also utilizes a narrator, who tells us exactly what is going to happen from the onset, but instead of this having the effect of the three act structure of the screenplay not having any surprises, it actually serves to build tension and draw the audience further into the characters and their emotional arcs.

While certainly a disjointed timeline is nothing new, in fact after PULP FICTION, so many filmmakers were trying to emulate Tarantino’s approach that the screen was plagued with films utilizing the technique, and a narrator providing voice over is in itself almost a convention, the originality of (500) DAYS OF SUMMER comes from the filmmaking itself. Webb takes a bold approach and throughout the course of the film switches effortlessly between scenes shot in the style of: musical numbers (a highlight of the film), 16mm black and white film, French nouveau cinema, Bergman’s THE SEVENTH SEAL, and in a wildly entertaining an innovative approach, a split-screen showing the audience the main character’s expectation on one side and reality on the other. These varied approaches serve only to strengthen the overall film, and in no way come across as being gimmicky or contrived.

Putting aside any filmmaking techniques though, what is at the heart of the film are two outstanding performances by Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. The characters they create are so genuine and real that you instantly become invested in their story. The character of Summer is supposed to be an “average” and “ordinary” girl who somehow has a mysterious effect over men, and Deschanel builds such a depth to her character that creates a palpable chemistry on screen between the two leads. Deschanel has a remarkable pacing and comic timing that allows her to create such a vivid and dynamic character and her performance is absolutely flawless.

(500) DAYS OF SUMMER is a fantastic film, and is one of the best of the year so far. Webb has created a quirky world that is both tender yet at times tinged with heartbreak, and should not be missed.

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