Yes, it is a love story: A review of (500) Days of Summer

They make it obvious. It's written on the posters, given away in the previews, and stated outright within the first two minutes of the film: (500) Days of Summer is not a love story. But after mulling it over and analyzing it for days, it's pretty hard to believe them, even if the emphasis falls on "story" instead of "love."

Opening quietly this week, in the shadow of the never ending Harry Potter series, (500) Days of Summer, the quirky romantic indie, starring none other than the equally quirky Zooey Deschanel and the equally romantic Joseph Gordon Levitt, is the story of Tom Hansen and Summer Finn's journey in and out of love. Set in what feels like the real Los Angeles, Tom and Summer meet at the greeting card company where they both work, fall for each other, begin dating, and then break up. The plot of their relationship is not overly interesting, but the moments we see them share and the way their story is presented is something entirely unique.

Shown in a series of vignettes titled with a number from Tom and Summer's 500 days, the film presents snip its, rather than whole scenes, of the couples' relationship, starting with the break up around day 300 and ending with what is presumably the last day Tom and Summer see each other. Some of the scenes are funny, some are campy (Summer and Tom romp through Ikea, Tom sings with bluebirds, there's even a run in with Darth Vader), but most are sincere hallmarks of both a relationship and a relationship's aftermath (Tom's greeting cards get morbid after the breakup, Summer and Tom rent and reenact an adult film, Tom worries Summer doesn't like him because she doesn't talk to him in the elevator). My favorite parts of the movie revolve around that vignette-style structure, the way the film jumps between moments, the uncanny display of each of Tom's feelings, and the narrator who's deep voice simultaneously gives the film a sense of humor and a sad nostalgia.

Where (500) Days falls short, however, is in the characterization of its lovebirds. Deschanel plays, as she always seems to, a quirky girl who is wholly irresistible, easily gaining and keeping the attention of the boys in the office. Summer likes the Smiths, dresses in vintage clothing, has a sixties' haircut, and doesn't believe in love, and as the film moves on to give us gory details of her relationship, we never move beyond those mundane details about Summer. She remains a facade of the girl we-want-to-be-and-be-with and we are supposed to like for that and that's it. Levitt's character is not much better, although, as the male protagonist, he is given an underlining storyline (the desire to get back into architecture) and a mouthy little sister, he remains the mostly two-dimensional geeky, hipster hero, dismantled by his infatuation with Summer.

While Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind succeeds for both its revolutionary way of telling a love story and its unique, believable characters, (500) Days of Summer only manages to capture the former success, failing to flesh out its cast of likable, rather than lovable, characters. The fact, however, that the two are comparable at all says a lot about the film.

Ultimately, (500) Days of Summer is like a book of short stories, filled with pieces of excellent flash fiction, well written and poignant, even if a little too short. It may not be a love story, but the film's structure certainly makes it a story about love.

Opens this Friday, July 17 in select theaters. To check out the trailer, visit our blog.