500 Days of Summer

"Here's something that you wrote last week. Roses are red, violets of blue. Fuck you whore" Tom's boss
Running time: 95 minutes (1hour35mins)

Boy meets girl, they fall for one another, have many babies and the token pet, normally a dog, normally this is what happens in your typical love story. But this is not your average rom-com. After it looks like as if the love of Tom's life has left for good he reflects on his relationship with Summer.

Tom Henson (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a greeting card writer, is deeply dissatisfied with life, convinced that he will never truly be happy until he has found a woman who he can spend the rest of his life with. Summer Finn (Zooey Deschanel) doesn't believe in true love or relationships, and has just moved to the same company. As soon as Tom first notices Summer hes knows that she is the one woman for him, they fall into a situation where they are more than friends yet not a relationship.

United by their worshipping of The Smiths (the magic of Morrissey continues), Summer and Tom epitomize idealistic young love, from casual browsing vinyls at a record store, to a scene in IKEA which I imagine has been recreated by crockery and bedroom furniture hunting couples everywhere.

An uplifting track by Daryl Hall & John Oates (yes, the 80s was a unusual time for hair) also features as Tom, who is overjoyed from his night of passion with Summer, travels to work accompanied by his acquired army of musical enthusiasts.

The scene in question, will either make you want to cringe in disgust OR join in the melodic 'child who eat too had too many e-numbers' dance. For me I guiltily admit that it was indeed the latter.  


Enter: Trailer 

 

Yet again, it's another gem from the Sundance festival (perhaps this is developing into a bit of an obsession), but from it the actors have gone on to climb the acting ladder, with Tom's sister (Chloe Moretz) who acts as the voice of reason taking a lead female role in Kick-Ass and Joseph Gordon-Levitt featuring in Inception.

A soundtrack can quite often make or break a film. And in the case of 500 Days of Summer the music definitely reiterates how great the film is, allowing to ascend into the heavenly DVD rack in the sky saved only for the best films. 

Doves, Feist, Mumm-Ra, Regina Spektor, Temper Trap, and more, also not forgetting The Smiths of course, all of whom are undeniably great and perfect Summer-time music. Careful considered tracks captures the mood and enhances the emotions portrayed on screen. Kudos.

I personally believe that Marc Webb (director) has created a emotional masterpiece. The film has the capability of uplifting and overwhelming you with how wonderful life is to leaving you with tears trickling down your cheek. This is one of those films that you will watch over and over again. Unfortunately I don't think I can ever do this film justice in words, hopefully I've intrigued you enough to watch it, as it really is one of those cases where you have to 'see it to believe it'.

Rating:          Fantastico

A Complete History of My Sexual Failures

"Basically you were the worst boyfriend I have ever had," 'Rachel', A Complete History of My Sexual Failures
Running time: 90 minutes (1hour30mins)

Before I'm accused of 'searching the internet with an ulterior motive and accidentally stumbling upon this film', you are absolutely correct. Of course I'm joking (I hope), but even mentioning the title of this documentary is enough to raise an eyebrow or two.

Chris Waitt a supposed independent filmmaker, more accurately defined as a lazy swine attempts to track down and interview all of his ex-girlfriends to try and reform himself for future relationships. Unaware of both his emotional and sexual shortcomings Chris takes on a turbulent, revealing journey as he hopelessly tries to resolve his relationship-problems in a darkly-amusing manner.

Treating every matter with utter levity, it's soon noticeable that Chris may not be as perfect as he believes as he undergoes mildly painful interviews with previous partners, who deliver bluntly honest answers without any restriction.

But on a lighter side, it has a rather humorous song about erectile dysfunction which is worth a listen.


Enter: Trailer

While at first you may absolutely despise Chris who to many seems more of a deluded weasel rather than a human being, who bares a resemblance to Kurt Cobain, by the end you grow to find him quite funny, possibly even lovable, and will most likely watch it for a second-time.

Since watching this film I have felt the need to spread the word about it. How can you go wrong with a film that has a date with a dominatrix in an S&M dungeon and a drunken overdose on Viagra which leads him to stagger the streets people to have sex with him? Yep, I knew that bit would grab your attention.

While it's true that a few of the scenes leave you questioning how much of the film is reality and how much is cinematic exaggeration. While it may not be most high budget of films, you have to give credit to Chris Waitt's Sundance Film Festival entree just for his shear bravery, or cheek. I can't imagine many people would be as willing to talk as openly about previous relationships, let alone make a film about them. 

Rating:          Not a-so bad