(500) Days of Summer

Directed By: Marc Webb

Written By:  Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber

Starring:

Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Zooey Deschanel

Geoffrey Arend

Chloë Grace Moretz

Matthew Gray Gubler

Clark Gregg

There’s no such thing as love, it’s fantasy… – Summer

(500) Days of Summer is Marc Webb’s stellar feature film directorial debut

This movie follows the story of greeting card writer Tom (Gordon-Levitt) who falls in love with the radiant Summer (Deschanel), who doesn’t believe that true love exists. The movie starts on day 488 and flips back and forth between the days as Tom remembers his relationship with Summer, the highs and the lows.

This film is easily one of the best romantic comedy movies ever made as it is more realistic, original and breaks away from the cinematic norm of what people expect a romantic comedy should be like. One part that is original in this movie that I personally love is the Expectations/Reality moment where we see onscreen in split-screen Tom’s expectations for a particular encounter, the reality and how different the two really are.

The acting is really great, Joseph Gordon-Levitt is wonderful as the lovelorn Tom and Zooey Deschanel is sublime as free spirited Summer. All the supporting Cast are very solid and funny especially Chloë Grace Moretz as Tom’s wise beyond her years sister Rachel and Geoffrey Arend & Matthew Grey Gubler as two of Tom’s Best Friends, McKenzie and Paul whose onscreen presence I really enjoyed.

This movie has a first rate script penned by Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber and is remarkably directed by Marc Webb.

The soundtrack is fantastic, the movie starts with the lovely Regina Spektor song “Us” and uses the Song “You Make My Dreams” by Hall & Oates in one of my favorite sequences in the movie, where Tom has slept with Summer for the first time the night before and is so happy that the song starts playing in his head and he precedes to walk to work, all the while imagining himself dancing in the street with the pedestrians around him. The film also contains songs from the always brilliant The Smiths and The Temper Trap.

This movie remains both funny and touching throughout the whole of its 95 minute run-time.

I really love this movie so very much, it’s smart, it’s sweet, it’s charming, it’s inventive and it’s quite brilliant.

10/10 – Cody

N/A – Michael

100%

 

Blue Jasmine

Directed By: Woody Allen

 

Written By: Woody Allen

 

Starring:

Cate Blanchett

Sally Hawkins

Alec Baldwin

Andrew Dice Clay

Bobby Cannavale

Louis C.K

Peter Sarsgaard

Anxiety, nightmares and a nervous breakdown, there’s only so many traumas a person can withstand until they take to the streets and start screaming – Jasmine

Blue Jasmine follows New York socialite Jasmine who after losing everything and suffering a mental breakdown, arrives in San Francisco to live with her estranged sister temporarily. As Jasmine struggles with memories of her privileged past, which are haunting her, she tries to recover in the present.

Blue Jasmine is a film of many strengths among them are that its wonderfully written and directed by Woody Allen

The acting is great in this film especially from Cate Blanchett who gives a brilliant and haunting portrayal of a woman struggling to cope

I think the flashback sequences are handled well and excellently done, the give us a glimpse of Jasmine’s past and the events which have led up to the present. They give a fantastic showcase and insight into Jasmine’s character.

This is a great movie, which has many funny moments, but is also touchingly poignant.

I firmly believe that Cate Blanchett deserves the Oscar for her performance, as she really blows her competition out of the water. This movie should be seen by any fan of Woody Allen or character studies.

8/10 – Cody

N/A – Michael

80%