I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. There are so few summer weekends left (AAHHHHH) that we must all make the most of them while we can.
Bought some slammin' records this weekend. Two (2) Belle and Sebastian albums, Bad Brains' self-titled album, a Bouncing Souls album, a Please Inform The Captain This Is A Hijack album, Bright Eyes' LIFTED: Or the Story is in the Soil Keep Your Ear to the Ground album, and a Pavement album. This, in addition to finding the normally very expensive Spiritualized CD I've been wanting used for only $5, made for an excellent city trip.
And in honor of these purchases I am presenting to you my song selection for the day. It's the ultimate pump-up anthem--a delightful pop-punk romp. Without further ado I give you True Believers by The Bouncing Souls:
#21: 500 Days of Summer
Anyone who knows me knows how excited I've been for this movie. Ever since my dear friend Brenda (she always appreciates shout-outs) introduced me to the trailer (primarily to make fun of how pretentious and stereotypically "indie" the elevator scene is) I have been waiting impatiently for its release. I'll be upfront: it didn't disappoint. I've seen it twice. And I'd see it a third time if someone's interested...
Everything about this movie was exactly what I hoped it would be. I love Joseph Gordon Levitt and he gave a fantastic performance. I love Zooey Deschanel and this was my favorite role of hers--even moreso than a fantastic scene I stumbled upon from a movie I will never see (Failure to Launch) in which she is absolutely hilarious. I love the songs on the soundtrack and the music was used perfectly in appropriate scenes. All of the standard movie-rating categories checked out.
What makes this film great rather than good, however, is that it goes beyond what would be just another movie to throw on a list of favorites with a handful of unique and unforgettable techniques. Its non-linear format, for one, compliments the nature of the film so perfectly that I can't believe I initially imagined the story being told from day one to day five-hundred. I think narrators can sometimes be extraneous, but here his intermittent commentary adds a fairy-tale sense to a story that benefits from that atmosphere. And for anyone who hasn't at the very least seen the trailer, it is absolutely imperative that you do. The scene where Joseph Gordon Levitt is in the park dancing to Hall and Oates' You Make My Dreams Come True is infinitely better in context than in the trailer. The entire audience was rolling when that scene came up--and rightfully so. Right down to the cheesy grin on Mr. Levitt's face, it was absolutely perfect in every way. Allow me to pay the scene the ultimate compliment: it trails only the float scene in Ferris Bueller's Day Off on my list of movie scenes I would have killed to be a part of.
But for all of its unconventional successes, there is one scene in particular that will stick with me--and may go down as my favorite movie scene of all time. Yes, even beyond the float scene in Ferris Bueller's Day Off. I hate to cough it up now when it knocks you on the floor the first time you see it, but it simply has to be written about. Director Marc Webb oh-so-creatively utilized a split screen to represent two things simultaneously: main character Tom Hanson's expectations for a specific event versus the reality of that event. Seeing the two diverge is heart breaking not only because of its nature but because of a complete sensory overload that emulates an emotional trainwreck. I don't want to give any more away, but I don't think I will have the pleasure of a more profound scene in a long, long time.
Even the small roles in the movie were invaluable. Tom's two friends were the quintessential peanut gallery who consistently provided comic relief for the more sentimental moments. The humor was mature in its immaturity--seeing two grown men act so childish at certain moments was hysterical. Tom's little sister's precocious demeanor and deadpan delivery posited next to Tom's often immature rationale heightened both of their characters. Even down to the smallest role, 500 Days was perfectly casted.
Although initially reserved for select theaters, I've heard that this movie is up for wide release either this or next week. It certainly deserves it. If you get the chance I really suggest catching this while its in theaters. Although it seems like a movie that would be just as good as a rental, there are a handful of scenes the benefit from the big screen. This is a perfect summer movie. (How clever of me!)
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