"this is a story of a boy meets girl. the boy, tom hanksian, grew up believing that he'd never be truly happy until the day he met the one. the girl, summer finn, did not share this belief. you should know know up front, this is not a love story."
and so i think it was. the movie was a romantic comedy. not a love story. not the typical boy meets girl with a happy ending. perhaps for most of you reading this, you have already watched it. you knew what happened in the end. i don't wanted to spoil the hopes of other people like me who tend to watch movies a few days before another movie shows up, or rather watch it on dvds straight from the streets of baclaran, quiapo and the like.
the plot is not what a 90s movie plot would be like. in the beginning, it would seem a bit confusing as the scenes jumped from day 1 to day 244 then back to day 28, then back to day 7, then forward to day 488 1/2. but then it makes sense as the reel continues to roll. you tend to understand how this incident happened and why it happened in the first place.
lots of funny scenes, lots of kissing, flirting and some sex, lol. i love the scene when they're playing a grown up version of the filipino game " bahay-bahayan" inside a home furnishing store, especially when they were lying in the bed and tom says "honey, i don't know how to say this, but there's a chinese family in our bathroom". i laughed so boisterous that i was happy to know that we were only around 7 or 8 people inside the mooviehouse (it was the last full show btw). love the scene where tom takes summer to his fave spot in town, and sketches the view of the buildings and parking lots in summer's arm. it's like how we use to write scribbles on our partner's body parts, except of course, this one is an art. fave scene was the day after they got laid. tom walks out of the house with smile from cheek to cheek, walks while being greeted, smiled and cheered by strangers. and then, they started to dance. reminds me of the days when pinoy family/teeny-bopper films do such scenes, only i think this one's way cool than ours (not that i have some rants on filipino movies, its' a different story). have other scenes that i also liked, cheesy ones usually, but i think i spoil too much.
now the characters. i find it cool that Zooey Deschanel (summer) played her part well, that it came to the point that i was pissed at her for having such a personality. as roger ebert says in his review (yes, i did some research hihi)
"Zooey Deschanel is a good choice to play such a woman. I can’t imagine her playing a clinging vine. Too ornery. As Summer, she sees Tom with a level gaze and is who she is. It’s Tom’s bad luck she is sweet and smart and beautiful — it’s not an act. She is always scrupulously honest with him. She is her own person, and Tom can’t have her. "
i must say i love how her eyes stare into nothingness. it seems so blank and yet you see there's emotion. and it's color blue! i always envy people with blue eyes simply because of that, nothing more. anyways, moving on to Tom played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt. i find him the exact definition of a person of charisma. for me, i dont' find him gorgeous, but i do find him appealing. i mean he's not flawless keanu reeves, or a hunk like patrick dempsey, but he sure got me with how he looks at his girl, smiles at her. and how natural he plays the part.
now on my fave part of my review: the quotable quotes i can send to people, and some of my fave scenic shots. here are just some:
> "i think it's official. im in love with summer... i love how she makes me feel" - tom
> "no. who needs it? we're young. might as well have fun while we can" - summer when asked by tom's friend McKenzie if she has a bf. (i'm single so can relate)
> "i don't want to get over her. i want to get her back" - tom (darn these cheesy lines!)
tom and summer's first conversation was inside an elevator. "i love the smiths... to die by your side is such a heavenly way to die"
the part of the film where tom dances happily after getting laid with summer. really nice scene for me.
tom and summer on his fave spot in LA
over all rating: 9 out of 10. i always believe in happy endings. if you have watched the film already, you know why a point is missing. if you haven't seen it yet, either watch it or read the context clues. sorry for being such a spoiler.
shet. nosebleed na ko. saka na ulit tatakatak ang keyboard ko. paalam muna.
ps. photos are from this site:
http://www.paisleypetunia.com/blog/2009/07/500-days-of-summer/
http://lazyflaneur.wordpress.com/2009/10/20/500-days-of-summer-2009/
