A Review

     HELLLOOOO people of the internet! I wrote this review a few months back for a friend of mine and I'd like to share it with you guys, you know, just in case you want to know what this movie is about bla, bla, bla. 

500 Days Of Summer

     Most people would think that “Oh God! It’s another chick flick. Ugh.” This is out of the question trust me when I say an omniscient narrator sets the film up early noting “this is not a love story”. I have to say that this movie really turns the table on how society thinks about women and men too actually. Watching this movie has really made me think that not only men would want “friends with benefits” women too want some action instead of being tied down to only one person. I’d say this movie is just another follow up from the Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis well known flick “Friends with Benefits”. I wouldn't say the same for “500 Days of Summer” though.

       At the beginning of this movie I thought to myself gosh this is going to be a long night and as soon as the introduction of the cast members ended I swear I couldn’t stop laughing when Tom Hanson played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, kept smashing plates over a counter top. After that I was actually relieved to see that the level of comedy that the producers and directors have put into this movie. I like the way that they introduced Chloe Grace Moretz to play Tom’s younger sister, Rachel. I feel child actors and actresses are being underrated for being too young to act in movies such as this just because of the typical stereotyping that kids are not as open minded. Anyways, Rachel was great in this movie, playing the part of Tom sister, a friend, a companion and a great sister for giving advice for when Tom needs it. Overall, the casting of the movie was superbly done especially for picking Matthew Gray Gubler from “Criminal Minds” - a series to which I find really awesome- a friend of Tom.

      After going into 20 minutes of the movie, I was sad yet surprised at Summer who was played by Zooey Deschanel who was actually in the movie “The Happening”, a supernatural thriller movie co-acting with Mark Wahlberg, which was an excellent film. Coming back to point, Summer struck me as an egoistic, and a stuck up woman. Seeing how she explained herself about not being interested in being in a relationship and that she does not believe in love to Tom and his friend McKenzie played by Geoffrey Arend at the bar. At this point, I was already on Tom’s side and the scene after they come out of the bar when Summer asked Tom if he liked her and when he said yes, she totally “friend zoned” him which literally means making Tom into just her friend nothing more, nothing less. Being said that she just wants to be friends, she looks him so adoringly in the eyes just before she leaves. I mean COME ON! That was uncalled for, plus you don’t tell a person “We’re friends” and then go up to the person and give the person a big kiss. Summer kept leading Tom on and being the love sick person that Tom is, he kept following her. It’s bad enough that Summer is toying with him, then leads him on and starts to get intimate with him just to end up telling him that she wants to keep it casual. At this point of the movie, it sucks.

        So Tom’s adapting to this new “casual” thing and THAT DANCE NUMBER! Hall and Oates was a great band and the song “You Make My Dreams Come True” was unexceptionally one of the greatest old hits ever made in history and by now I’m thinking to myself that this movie has a great selection of great song and then I thought about how happy Tom was and about the whole situations. “Hey, whatever makes him happy is fine then. But what a stupid fool he is.” I thought to myself. He was happy to be with her but then again he already knew he wasn’t going to get anything out of it yet he seemed to enjoy himself. I guess I can’t cope up with that, but let’s be honest; any guy would have loved this “friends with benefits” crap. It’s just not up my alley to fool around with my friends. Why? Well first is because sooner or later people are going to find out and you will be faced with gossips. Secondly, you could lose your friend being in casual relationships like that. I certainly wouldn’t want to lose my friend because of sexual relationship that in the end doesn’t really work out.

       Now she breaks up with him even when they weren’t really together? Summer has commitment issues. But then again, Tom is already ready to be friends with her again. What a stupid fool he is. Ladies and gentleman, if someone that you like is treating you like this, then just try to let go of that feeling that you think is love because trust me, I would never do or let anyone do this thing that Summer is doing towards Tom. If you want to be friends then just be friends and not go about to having sexual relations or else it could just get ugly. Poor Tom. Summer was in denial about having feelings for Tom and it was obvious. I think that it’s great she’s opening up and tearing down the wall, the barrier between them. When everything seemed like it was going great BOOM! “This is not how you treat a friend!” Tom stole the words right out of my mouth when Summer tried to pull that “friend” crap again right after Tom tried to defend her at the bar from that douche. I’m here thinking “THANK GOD! He finally came to his senses!” Summer appears at Tom’s doorsteps and goes “I like you” … I mean come on is that all that took? Tom I want to kick you right in the head. At this moment I thought the relationship was actually going to go somewhere and the moment ends when day 314 arrives showing a depressed Tom. Oh no… “What did she do this time…?” I couldn’t help but sympathize. Poor Tom. Days passed by and well he’s getting worse and worse and the part when he talks to this blind date he says “… she’s an evil, emotionless, miserable human being or a robot.” YES, YES SHE IS BOTH.

      Day 402 and I am about ready to scream my lungs out. What are the odds that Summer would be in the same train heading to the same place and so they rekindle the spark again but to no avail. I think Summer really had problems that she couldn’t fess up to. The split screen at the party… the “expectation” and the “reality”, broke my heart. I was also expecting that they would just fall in love again but then reality shows us that we don’t really get the things we want and the way we want it which sucks and it really makes you think of how this scene really do happen in a person’s mind and with that I think it was a brilliant idea to portray what Tom wanted to happen to what really is happening. What was happening? Well she’s engaged that’s what’s happening.

   It’s sad to see what one person can do to another. Summer totally ruined Tom in a sense that them breaking up ended up in Tom quitting his job and just still finding the courage to get back up and start back what he thought was just a silly dream – being an architecture. Bumping into Summer at their favorite place made me tear a little because I could hear the hurt in Tom’s voice but he got closure which was all he really needed to move on from the girl he once loved deeply and going to an interview just to bump into a pretty woman who’s there to also apply for the job position that just significantly and coincidentally named Autumn. What a coincidence… Autumn, Summer. As the narrator said, “… coincidence that’s all anything ever is. Nothing more than coincidence”. 

    This movie makes me want to hate it and love it at the same time. I don’t know, maybe it’s just me being stereotypical about not getting a happy ending and by happy ending I mean Summer and Tom together. But the alternate version is pretty ok too. In short, this is one movie I would definitely recommend for couples to watch or maybe couples- to- be to watch. For guys who are trying to get the attention of your friend that you really like, I’d say this is the perfect movie to watch. The wittiness, the sadness and the happiness of people that are meant to be together but just cannot accept the facts that they have very different needs. A forbidden love that was never supposed to be. 

P.S: I couldn't be too vulgar on this post because like I said, this review was for a friend of mine who is in college. OH, the movie sucked. Thank you.