(500) Days of Summer

I'll admit, I rarely watch romantic movies anymore because, in that stereotypical whirlpool, there are only very few titles worth watching. The vast majority of those genre pieces are made as if following a template and differ only slightly in doses of naivety and, when it comes to teenage matters, even in the level of tastelessness. (500) Days of Summer really stands out from this flood because it has honest craftsmanship and a few decent ideas as well as pleasant casting. But from my perspective, it's by no means a cult film. It was allegedly a huge hit at the Sundance Festival, but any major studio could have easily financed this Webb film. In fact, it is purely a mainstream affair. If stars were given for the best mainstream romance of the year, (500) Days of Summer would probably win hands down, but that's not how it works for me. It differs from the usual productions mainly by the fact that the screenwriter admitted that not every romantic love ends in marriage, but if they want to sell me these discoveries, they should turn to someone else with such banalities. After two days, I can only remember very little from the film. It's pleasant enough for one viewing, but nothing more. Overall impression: 60%. (30/12/2014)

Someone else wrote it… doesn’t make it any less true. A beautiful, nice, poetic and extremely brisk film, where romance can both caress and bite until it breaks the skin... just like in life. Perhaps the conclusion could have been a little less of a fairytale. However, (500) Days of Summer is a fairytale, but this fact does not take the cute banal force out of Webb's film. Probably the biggest surprise of last year from the American mainstream. (23/01/2010)

A fresh and new approach to the material with excellent casting. The two main virtues of this interestingly presented and positive comedy, where the wave of seriousness and sometimes bitterly cynical undertones resonate perfectly with the archetypal premise of all romantic films, are love and everything around it. Webb got it right, it's from life, and while it seems mature and adult at times, it's actually a teen issue in every way. (29/08/2016)

A nostalgic ride into the past, when all this stuff still meant something. Marc Webb turns the tables skillfully and doesn't forget to add the bad to the good. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is excellent as the idealistic young man who one will day become a dad who will watch 500 Days of Summer on TV because Disney+ told him he might be interested. (31/07/2023)

I watched this film more out of curiosity due to its popularity, but I honestly didn't see anything special about it at all. It is hardly funny, not intelligent or entertaining enough to grab your attention. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is likable, but Zooey Deschanel was an ugly bitch whom I found very unlikeable, I didn't really root for their strange relationship. It didn't sit well with me. A run-of-the-mill unremarkable romantic drama like any other. 55% (26/10/2017)