If there is a genre of movie that I would classify as my least favorite, it would have to be romantic comedies. Most romantic comedies are formulaic, unfunny and contrary to their label not all that romantic either. Although every once in a while, a movie will come around to breathe new life into a fizzling genre. Marc Webb’s (500) Days of Summer (I’m still not sure why the 500 in the title is in parenthesis though), is just the shot in the arm that the tired romantic comedy genre needed.

The plot of the movie is – stop me if you’ve heard this one before – boy meets girl and they fall in love. This plot may sound familiar but the execution is far above what most studios are releasing this summer such as The Ugly Truth and The Proposal. The boy in this movie is played by Joseph Gordon–Levitt (The Lookout) and the girl he falls for is the gorgeously cute, Zooey Deschanel (Yes Man). Gordon-Levitt is Tom, an aspiring architect, who after not finding a job in that field, settles for writing greeting cards. Tom is an idealist when it comes to the subject of love (he watched too many sad British pop videos as a boy), we are told through the films ever present voice-over narration.

Tom hasn’t found the girl of his dreams, until one day Summer (Deschanel) gets a job as his boss’s assistant. Tom is instantly infatuated with Summer, as most guys are (we are told she averaged 18 double-takes a day by men on the bus). Tom’s only problem is getting up the courage to talk to her. He spends weeks consulting with his guy friends for advice, although the best advice he gets is from his wise beyond her years younger sister. Tom is having no luck getting beyond initial pleasantries with Summer until it is announced that the whole office is going to a karaoke night. At the karaoke bar Tom and his buddy discuss relationships and love with Summer. She informs Tom that she is happy being single and doesn’t believe in the fairytale called “love.”  After this initial meeting, chemistry develops between the two, and they begin seeing more of each other.

As the two are in a furniture store pretending to be married to each other, Summer lets Tom know that she doesn’t want anything serious and Tom, against his own wishes, says he agrees with her that they are “just friends.” After the two get back from their IKEA trip however, Tom soon finds Summer in his bed. What’s a guy to do? The next morning, after consummating their “relationship” Tom is on his way to work. You see Tom is having the best morning of his life; the scene reflects this as Tom is high-fived by strangers and even engages in a huge dance number, complete with an animated blue bird landing on his shoulder.

The next few days run smoothly for Tom, until one night he gets in a fight at a bar with a guy who is hitting on Summer. Thinking that he was defending her, she is really disgusted by the act and tells Tom she can defend herself. Tom says that he gets a say in their relationship too and she is his girlfriend. The two soon make up and all is well for while until, one night at dinner, Summer suddenly breaks up with him. After that night, Tom is crushed, and his friends tell him to just get over her but Tom says he only wants to get her back.

To be young, in love, and liking vintage records.

(500) Days of Summer starts with a deep voiced narrator telling us that this is not a love story…and it really isn’t, it’s more about two people falling out of love. Another thing the movie does so brilliantly to differentiate itself from so many other films of this type is it starts with the couple breaking up. The story of (500) is told in non sequential order so it starts on day 488 and works backwards, forwards and every up and down in between, similar to Christopher Nolan’s Memento. This idea is not a new one in film but it is the first time I can remember it being applied to this genre.  It certainly works here as we discover how the couple fell for each other and watch their romance blossom and ultimately, dwindle.

The two leads performances by Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel are amazing, with the better performance here being from Gordon-Levitt.  As Tom, he puts us in his situation, as everyone can identify with his character’s plight of trying to get his dream girl, only to lose her. We hope that he will win her back and everything will be “happily ever after.” But this being a truly fresh takes on the standard boy-girl story, and the narrator warning of its outcome, we know it may not work out in the end.

Deschanel gives a good performance here as well as the free spirit love-cynic Summer, but like other actors of late (Michael Cera), she is fast approaching being typecast in this type of role. The script was written by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber, who also wrote The Pink Panther 2 (?). That blunder aside, here they more than make up for Panther 2, as the script is very funny with great dialogue and a very realistic look at how a “real” relationship is.

The movie was directed by first time director Marc Webb, who up until now has only done music videos. You can tell that the music industry is where he got his start. The film makes great use of its soundtrack (even Deschanel has a song in the film). Webb also has a great visual sense as well; there are a couple standout scenes. One is a scene where Tom goes to a party to try and win back Summer and the screen splits to reveal the reality of the situation mixed with Tom’s expectations of what happens. The other scene is the dance sequence after Tom and Summer’s first night together, it’s a really infectious upbeat sequence that had me smiling along with Tom.

(500) Days of Summer has been out for a while, it was released July 17, but only recently came to any theaters in my area (St.Louis). I’m not sure why Fox has been so  slow in getting this out in more theaters. It’s a great, fresh take on a tired genre and if you get a chance to see this – you need to – and that’s high praise coming from a guy who loathes most chick flicks.

Mash-ups have become increasingly popular over the past few years, most of them musical, ever since DJ Danger Mouse fused Jay-Z’s “The Black Album” with The Beatles’ “The White Album.” I’ve enjoyed a lot of these types of tracks and the art of fusing two different styles have recently taken over visual media with trailer mash-ups, such as this Wall-E vs. Watchmen trailer. Now, things have evolved into the next logical step. Actors and actresses are putting their heft into recreating scenes from older films and they’re being brought to you by MSN’s Cinemash.

The first installment takes the stars of the upcoming (500) Days of Summer, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel and transposes them as Sid and Nancy, from the 1986 film of the same name. Gender roles are reversed in this three-minute plus scene ad Gordon-Levitt takes hold of the role of Nancy, previous occupied by Chloe Webb, while Deschanel harnesses Gary Oldman’s Sid Vicious.

I think this is an awesome idea and I look forward to future installments, which we’ll continue to bring to you. Some of the upcoming Cinemash scenes previewed are Carrie with Will Arnett, Training Day with Common and Christopher Mintz-Plasse and Tron with Cheech and Chong.

Here’s Sid and Nancy with Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel:

I was able to do some thorough looking and came up with a few clips for 500 Days Of Summer, directed by music video helmer turned virgin filmmaker Marc Webb.  “Days” stars Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt as two people who don’t fall in love, at least thats what the tagline will have you believe.  “Boy meets girl. Boy falls in love. Girl doesn’t.”  I wish I could say I haven’t been there at some point in my life, but well, hmmm…you know, maybe I haven’t.  But still.  Some of you can probably relate.  Hahaha.  I didn’t say I couldn’t do it without some help.  Alcohol has always helped me.  And her.

Anyway, JGL is one of the best young actors working today IMO and many people seem to have an affinity for Zooey so this could be a little film to look out for.  The clips below speak for themselves (if you watch them)!  One is an exclusive scene from the movie (here is the link, the embed is not working for it) and another is a Behind-The-Scenes look at the movie that is “not a love story.”  Or so they would have you believe.  “Days” drops in theaters July 17th.  And because I am in a really giving mood, if you live in one of 6 major US cities, you may want to look out for the 500 Days Giveaways link here.  Enjoy your weekend. Check back for box office updates and any other goodies that may turn up.  Good deal.

Finding true love is a tricky situation and it gets the better of us.  It’s certainly a word that can be thrown around easily.  Some of us think we understand what love is the first time around and then, BOOM, you get burned. That’s why I use the word a lot more cautiously.  I also tend to think of the song “Love –>Building On Fire” by The Talking Heads.  “When my love/stands next to your love/I can’t define love/when it’s not love/it’s not love.” It pretty much means it takes two people to make love work and you can’t do it alone.  This is the same approach in the indie-type (500) Days of Summer.  Yes, this is a romantic comedy, but this one looks so much more intelligent and realistic than your usual crapfests like Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (yes, it’s my whipping boy for the year) or The Proposal.

Notice the slight diss as she scopes out other guys.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt (The Lookout) stars as Tom, a hopeless romantic who first takes notice of Summer (Zooey Deschanel, The Happening) in an elevator after she comments on the band he’s listening to, The Smiths.  They both work together and starting from day one, Tom tries to win Summer’s love.  In a non-linear story, the movie chronicles Tom’s 500 days with Summer, hence the actually clever title.  The timeline features Tom and Summer getting together, being in a relationship and then breaking up.  Tom no doubt loves her, but Summer doesn’t believe in the word and doesn’t return the same feelings.    Tom must somehow find a way to show Summer what true love is before they’re reduced to the dreaded “just friends,” which happens to the best of us. Deschanel, who is part of the pop band She and Him, also provides a song for the soundtrack.

Marc Webb, who directed (500) Days of Summer, has mostly done music videos and this will be his debut film. The script is co-written by Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber and perhaps this will remove the stain on their names after being attached to The Pink Panther 2.

No matter what it is, if you have something funny to say, say it.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel, who first worked together on Panic, have made a name for themselves with independent movies and 500 looks promising.  I’ve always liked Gordon-Levitt, especially in The Lookout.  Deschanel’s a good actress and I think she’ll be a great foil for Gordon-Levitt. This appears to be a good date movie, which seem to be harder and harder to find these days and I think it should do well, even with its independent roots..

(500) Days of Summer opens in limited release on July 17^th.

Although the first part of my biography sarcastically says otherwise, I’ve always been a closed-off person. It’s not something I take any pride in, and it’s actually an aspect of my personality I particularly abhor. I don’t deny offers to get out of my shell and take part in new experiences, but rather lack the self-motivation to create the opportunities for myself. It’s something I’ve been on a quest to change for some time, and look toward anything that would aid me in the process. Being fully self-aware, the concept of a man forced to say “yes” to every opportunity he encounters and see how it changes his life was extremely intriguing. With this, I sought out Yes Man.

Carl Allen (Jim Carrey) is a loan officer for a bank. A large part of his livelihood is administering denial to people in the two-letter form of “no.” This constant daily experience has no doubt shaped his life and his thoughts to an extreme extent. His career, coupled with his recent divorce, has forced Carl into recoiling into a shell and keeps him from even attending get-togethers with his only friends, in fear of running into his ex-wife. After his most recent loan denial, Carl runs into Nick (John Michael Higgins), who has completely transformed his life from an isolated banker to a take-charge full-out risk-taker.

Nick has become a “Yes Man,” which is the whole genesis of his transformation. He drags Carl to a self-help seminar urging you to say “yes” to life and every opportunity that comes your way. This event is similar in presence to the talk Tom Cruise’s character leads in Magnolia, providing tips to lonely men on how to pick up women. This is just as cult-ish, but in a less domineering manner. Initially resistant, Carl is persuaded by peer pressure and perhaps a little hypnosis to adopt the one word he’s been living his life without for so long.

With this single word increase in vocabulary, Carl’s life undergoes instant changes. After giving a ride to a homeless man deep into the woods, who uses up all Carl’s cell phone life, takes all the cash in Carl’s pocket and whose destination drains Carl of all his gas, Carl meets Allison (Zooey Deschanel) at the gas station and she gives him a ride back to his car. All of this could have been avoided if he had just said “no” to one aspect. However, since he said “yes,” his circumstances led him to meet the girl that holds the key to Carl’s heart and a whole wealth of experiences. She is naturally this way, Carl is programmed to be. Together, their risk-taking and day-seizing takes them to places neither one has ever experienced.

Things to still say 'no' to: drugs; Harry Potter costume parties

I think the landscape of comedy has changed and evolved in recent years. It’s hard to pinpoint an exact turning point, but it definitely exists. Producer, Judd Apatow, has been a big part in this movement away from the Mike Myers/Adam Sandler brand of comedy. A harder edge has been added. Lines are less scripted and more improvised. This is indeed a rash generalization, but I believe it to be true. I feared the comedy world has changed so much that a Jim Carrey comedy could no longer succeed in fulfilling one’s laughter-expectancy. I’m wrong in this thought. Yes Man delivers laughs I thought had long since vanished. Carrey’s rubber-faced antics prove to still be charming. His Red Bull-laced diatribe shown in the trailers manages to elicit guffaws. It’s nice to know the world hasn’t turned so far away.

The humor is surprising effective. Carrey brings his A-game, or as close to his A-game as he has in years. However, it’s his interplay with his branch manager, Norman (Rhys Darby) where things truly take off. Darby plays the band manager, Murray, in HBO’s “Flight of the Conchords,” and this is his first film role. He excels and seems to challenge Carrey to step his game up. There’s even a scene of one-upmanship where Norman and Carl both try to make each other laugh to help pass the time at the bank. Once Carl is enticed to accept any offer he receives, Norman invites him to nerderiffic costume parties and the pair continues to bond. It’s all very sweet to see opposite ends of the spectrum come together, but sadly, it doesn’t really result in anything.

The big problem with Yes Man is it fails to grow into anything but the cliché storyline we are loath to expect. Everything works pretty well for the first two acts of the film. The concept promises big rewards as a social parable and the humor quotient was met more often that not. Things look bright, until the film finds itself mired in the same scene and plot device we’ve seen from every romantic comedy ever written. “You’re forced to say ‘yes’ all the time? You’ve built up this façade about you being an outgoing person? How dare you try to improve yourself?” If I had a penny for every time I’ve sat through that scene or its derivative, I would have seen Yes Man for free. This act is completely unforgivable and if the film itself had less promise, perhaps I wouldn’t feel so devastated by it. As it stands, it built itself up into something to only tear itself down before my eyes. Not an easy thing to take.

Although I feel the film ultimately betrays its potential, there are lessons to be learned from it. A Jim Carrey film can still be successful at the box office and recall the humor of his days of yore. Rhys Darby needs to be in more things. He currently only has one upcoming project after the next season of “Flight of the Conchords,” but he needs to be signed to more, now. The maddening lesson is that a great concept still doesn’t equal a great movie. Cliché is a hard thing to stray from. Even the great Knocked Up had its “boy loses girl” moment, but it was handled in a way that wasn’t calling attention to itself. Although this film urges self-improvement, it falls back into the same old rut. It’s hard to preach gospel when you don’t follow it yourself.