(boy) meets girl

Tuesday, September 29, 2009 ♥ 11



I finally, finally, finally got to watch (500) Days of Summer after much, much, much anticipation. I was a bit jittery at first because of all the different opinions - some loved it, some hated it. Me? I loved it. I more than loved it. I adored it.

Some people said they didn't like it because it was boring, a try-hard, and/or they didn't feel the emotional pull of the movie. I must admit, I can understand why they'd think that, but only somewhat. I may not have been incredibly emotionally moved 'til I was reduced to tears, but that wasn't the point. (500) Days of Summer was never meant to be a typical romantic comedy that merely entertained for entertainment's sake. It was an indie film that told a story in an indubitably creative fashion. Not some fairytale, but a realistic, albeit rare, story. I could relate to both Tom and Summer alike; the both of them represented two very different but very real points of view people have in life.

If there's one thing I learned this year, is that nostalgia can be deceiving. That's why I particularly loved the fact that the movie pointed out that sometimes, when we dig out the past by recalling memories (as that is what Tom does - he recalls the 500 days of his relationship with Summer; the movie is shown entirely from his POV), we tend to focus on the happy ones and leave out the bad ones, which ultimately gives us a
false impression of the past.

There were so many wonderful scenes (make-believing at IKEA, the dance sequence, the chalk architecture rampage, bench scenes, etc.), I was smiling throughout! Grinning from ear-to-ear and laughing out loud with the rest of the audience really made the movie experience that much more entertaining. If there was only one word that could describe this movie, it would be "beautiful", for all the scenic moments in there.

Initially, I didn't get why the movie ended the way it did. But after much contemplation, I finally understood that it was so because people almost always fall for the same type, or trap at least once in our life. There are so many ways to look at it, and that's the
beauty of this movie. What Summer told Tom really made sense to me: "You were right, Tom. It just wasn't me you were right about." (500) Days really makes us rethink whether or not true love exists; shows us the ups and downs of a relationships and break-ups; opens up our eyes to see that sometimes the one we're pining over isn't really The One; questions the reason why Tom and Summer failed as a couple; as well as makes us ponder over what caused Summer's change of heart about marriage in the end. ("I just woke up one day and I knew... what I was never sure of with you.") Ergo, I liked the simple truths that came with each scene, and especially the cinematography of it all. The Expectations VS Reality part required no words to express the heartbreak Tom was going through. It's the intricate details that went into the production that I love, such as how Summer was almost always in shades of blue, and why the other characters did not wear that colour. There was a reason behind every little thing.

Director Marc Webb should be applauded as this was his first time directing a feature film, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel for their acting chops. (500) Days deserves all the praise and accolades given by renowned critics, including the standing ovation it received at the Sundance Film Festival, for reasons that will take far too long to discuss here (but would love to engage in one if you're interested). (500) Days was filled with absolutely beautiful scenes from start to finish, comedic at all the right places, had an incredible soundtrack, and proved to be immensely thought-provoking. Thus, (500) Days of Summer can only be appreciated when
not taken at face value, as with most independent films.

xx

If you're Malaysian and wondering where you can
catch this flick, it's being
screened exclusively at TGV KLCC & Pyramid.

♥ 11 Response(s) to “(boy) meets girl”

  • Cat says:

    I absoloutely loved it. SO much. But the last bench scene with the two of them, I was sosososo sad. Crying. I thought it was amazing how the film made the viewers feel like Summer was "the one" for Tom, so that it was sort of like a slap in the face that it didn't work out and it's like the truth was really in front of you all along and yet you fell for it. It was a heavy dose of reality. Served with tears. :)
    Cat xx

  • Debbie says:

    hello! i'm not reading this post because i'm scared of spoilers hahah. but do you know from when to when will they be showing 500 days of summer at TGV? I WANNA WATCH IT. watch it again julia! :D hahaha.

  • Gracie says:

    It still sounds fantastic! I definitely want to check this movie out. I think it's out here now. I'm fascinated by the story and it's good that it's more realistic than some movies. That was a really great mini review.
    By the way, fairy lights are fantastic! =)
    And I left a little something for you on my blog =)

  • michelle says:

    hello there! :)
    just wanted to say that i abolutely adore your blog (such a pleasant colour scheme and your posts...) and that i also really want to see (500) days of summer too! i'm afraid of clicking the "click to keep reading" bit, because it might contain spoilers... does it? if it doesn't, i'll keep reading, hahaha.
    and it's funny (well not really funny haha, but cool funny) that you say you're from malaysia... i have family there and we go over there like once a year. (i'm from australia.)
    x

  • julialow says:

    michelle: Hi love! Thank you so, so much - you're just lovely! Yes, the rest of this post does contain a couple of spoilers, but do come back once you've watched the movie 'cos I love a good discussion. (: Wow, what a coincidence, 'cos I'm most probably going over to Australia mid next year to further my studies! Hehe. Which part of Malaysia do you normally visit?

  • michelle says:

    @julia/*this daisy hello again! yes, i will come back after i've seen the movie, as i'm curious as to what you have to say about it. :) (however, this might take a while... i may be waiting for the dvd version, haha.) oh, that's awesome, you're coming here! by "furthering my studies" do you mean study university here? how exciting! :D i normally visit my mother's side when in malaysia, so that's near KL, in petaling jaya. ;) are you near the city too?

  • Jo-Ann says:

    JULIAAAA! :D

    The movie's out! Can't wait to watch it.. Excite excite. (:

    Btw, saw you in Seventeen's October issue. So cute! (:

    I haven't seen you AT ALL this semester! Where have you been hiding??

  • julialow says:

    jo-ann: haha hi woman! i've been around la, i see aaron waaayyy too much. HAHA. ;) i don't like lar the oct issue pic. pfft. hehe! yes yes go watch the movie. alar, if you had told me earlier, you could've joined us 'cos i watched it again with them at the movies last night. aaron, eka, ernie, etc. miss you!

  • Ian says:

    yeah. it was a good one! i watched it too at the cinema. just that i paid 15AUD for it. i get comfy seats thooo :) good twist to the movie!

  • It was great wasn't it?! Although I wasn't sure of how it ended, although i don't want to give that away! Lovely blog :) City Girl x

♥ Leave a Reply: