Review by Gary Tooze

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Description: Tom believes, even in this cynical modern world, in the notion of a transforming, cosmically destined, lightning-strikes-once kind of love. Summer doesn't. Not at all. But that doesn't stop Tom from going after her, again and again, like a modern Don Quijote, with all his might and courage. Suddenly, Tom is in love not just with a lovely, witty, intelligent woman -- but with the very idea of Summer, the very idea of a love that still has the power to shock the heart and stop the world. The fuse is lit on Day 1 when Tom, a would-be architect turned sappy greeting card writer, encounters Summer, his boss's breezy, beautiful new secretary, fresh off the plane from Michigan. Though seemingly out of his league, Tom soon discovers he shares plenty in common with Summer. By Day 31, things are moving ahead, albeit "casually." By Day 32, Tom is irreparably smitten, living in a giddy, fantastical world of Summer on his mind. By Day 185, things are in serious limbo -- but not without hope. And as the story winds backwards and forwards through Tom and Summer's on-again, off- again, sometimes blissful, often tumultuous dalliance -- all of which adds up to a kaleidoscopic portrait of why, and how, we still struggle so laughably, cringingly hard to make sense of love and to hopefully make it real.

 

 

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Extras :

Extras are extensive with many being exclusive to the Blu-ray (so NOT on the simultaneously released SD-DVD). The audio commentary with director Marc Webb, the writers Scott Neustadter + Michael H. Weber and actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt is a fun affair with some laughs and pauses before the next humorous note is struck. Webb gives some production information and the writers give some input claiming about 75% of the film was based on things that really happened. It's fun to see them pause and talk about Zooey Deschanel - or, at least her bright visage. The grouping argue about interpretations of small issues in the film and discuss relationships frankly. It's a decent listen. There are 15-minutes of 9 deleted and extended scenes with optional audio commentary. There are 7 minutes of inconsequential audition tapes with Geoffrey Arend and Matthew Gray Gubler. There is more than an hour's worth of other tidbits including 2 Storyboards sequences with optional commentary, Making of... entitled Not a Love Story: Making (500) Days of Summer, Summer at Sundance footage and six conversations with Zooey and Joseph last 12-minutes. What was kind of cool - and I wished was longer were the 'Filmmaking Specials'. The Webb's Bank Dance short film and the amusing Mean's Cinemash: Sid and Nancy piece were very cool expanding on scenes from the film. Both could have been much longer but I imagine some real work went into producing these. There is a music video and you get a Digital Copy disc for use with your portable devices.

BOTTOM LINE:
This is a very good film. While my reaction as not as exhilarating as some of the critical response that I've read - I do admit that this is amusing and very 'real' in a certain sense. It balances between showing some depth of the human condition and being just being light, fluffy and entertaining. The Blu-ray does the job but don't expect the A/V to approach demo levels. It's not that type of film anyway - but is IS recommended for its strong qualities as being quite memorable (Dance sequence in the park is GREAT!) with plenty of supplements to indulge in.