500 Days with Her
There exists a game of expectations versus reality. The same game many men play with women—idealizing them and projecting onto them many things they believe women should have or should do simply because they are women.
#Let’sTalkAboutWomen, but this time about those whose mere presence means rethinking everything, those who appear and disappear, demolishing without meaning to in the best style of Bukowski’s Women—obviously, keeping things in proportion.
500 Days with Her
It seems like a romantic comedy, but it’s precisely the opposite. I’d say it’s about what love is not. But careful—that’s not bad. It’s real, which is worse…
The film can feel quite obvious and sometimes slow, yet there are two things we cannot overlook:
Its narrative: they’ve chosen to tell the story non-linearly, jumping through time—without which this would be just another film, without strong drama and with little imagination.
The dialogue: the script has been one of the things I’ve enjoyed most, not precisely for its brilliant phrases, but for how honest and utterly quotidian they feel.
From the very beginning, it opens with this gem:
AUTHOR’S NOTE:
The following is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental. Especially you, Jenny Beckman. Bitch.
Then when we begin to know the characters: She only loved two things: first, her long black hair. And second, how easy it was to cut it off and feel nothing.
500 Days with Summer
And what about this line his sister tells him (the only one with a broader sense of life): “Just because a girl likes the same weird crap you do doesn’t make her your soulmate.”
Day 11
But his sister wasn’t only there at the beginning of this chaos: “I know you think she was the one, but I don’t think so. I think you’re just remembering the good stuff. Next time you remember her, I think you should pay attention.”
Day 450
This is one of the few films that, in an entertaining way and without pretending to be profound, manages to speak naturally about these changes in gender roles. It tells us there are women like this—ones you easily fall in love with, beautiful, charismatic, who then become detestable for their attitude, though we know deep down they never lied to us.
Despite Tom “loving” Summer so much, she had no obligation to stay with him because of it. It’s completely valid to think the way Summer does.
500 Days with Summer “You never wanted to be anyone’s girlfriend, and now you’re going to be someone’s wife… How did that happen?” I don’t know, Tom, I just…
At the film’s end, you can only smile and see what you want to see. Like in love.
