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August 21, 2009

Benji Tunnell: ‘Summer’ a realistic romance

Love can often be a wonderful yet confounding thing. The stuff of ballads and sonnets, of books and, unfortunately, hundreds of generic romantic comedies, it is the driving force behind much of life. Rarely is it tidy, and often it doesn’t have the fairy tale ending that so many of us want.

Were we to believe Hollywood, the good guy would always get the girl, the jerk would get his comeuppance, the star-crossed lovers would welcome the credits clinched in an embrace. Even with some of the best movie romances, we must suspend our disbelief to allow the idealized happy ending that eludes so many of us in real life to at least be realized for someone.

So, when a realistic romance manages to sneak under the radar, one that leaves the loose ends untied, it usually gets ignored by the mainstream audiences. Let’s hope this isn’t the case with “(500) Days of Summer.”

Essentially a mosaic of a relationship, the story structure is such that we see snippets of the couple, Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and Summer (Zooey Deschanel), at various stages of their romance. The movie jumps back and forth, playing with the viewer as we try to piece together their experience, but does so in such a way as to make it as confusing as real life love.

Tom is the romantic, believing in love at first sight and the idea of destiny. Summer is the opposite, flighty yet hardened by her own experiences and refusing to give in to the idea of a relationship because she doesn’t want to “belong” to anybody. As we piece together their history, we get a very real portrayal of the excitement and heartache of love.

Gordon-Levitt has done quite a bit since he made a name for himself on TVs “3rd Rock from the Sun,” some fine (“Brick,” “Stop-Loss”) and some forgettable (“Halloween H20,” “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra”), but never has he been more convincing as a romantic lead than in this. Having shelved his dreams of being an architect to write generic greeting cards, he finds himself stagnant, sleep walking through his day while searching for purpose.

Deschanel, who has been the best part of many mediocre films, seems to really have connected with Summer. She doesn’t get the opportunity to delve to far into the motivations or the justifications for her beliefs and actions, but it fits the character.

I’d also throw out special recognition for Chloe Moretz as Tom’s kid sister, Rachel. A wizened soul trapped in the body of a 12-year-old, she gives Tom insight into the female psyche that his other buddies could only hope to understand.

Now, as with love, the movie isn’t perfect. There is a sometimes intrusive narrator who disappears for a while before popping back up at the end. Director Marc Webb, thus far known mostly for music videos, does an adequate job helming, but some of his camera and effects tricks begin to feel a bit cloying.

Judging by the size of the audience at the screening I attended, I have a feeling that “Summer” will be short in Joplin. But if you’re looking for an alternative to the factory feel of the latest Sandra Bullock or Rachel McAdams flicks, give this one a shot.

Rating 2 1/2 reels

Address correspondence to Benji Tunnell, c/o The Joplin Globe, P.O. Box 7, Joplin, MO 64802 or benjitunnell@gmail.com.

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