(500) Days of Summer (2009)

At the start the narrator sets out to assure the audience that while this is a story of boy meets girl, it is not a love story. Instead, it is a complicated tale of a relationship too perfect to last, examining how it came to be, as well as the gruesome trainwreck it becomes. A lot of clever tricks are used to show this, the most primary of which is its nonlinear structure, flipping back and forth between the up and coming relationship, and the aftermath in equal measure. The script itself is wonderfully solid with many very funny moments, however this is as much a drama as anything else, and it's here that the cast and writing really shine. Zooey Deschanel is absolutely perfect as the titular Summer, managing to seem impossible and charming and appropriately maddening. That said, this is really Joseph Gordon-Levitt's movie and he completely owns it. For an actor who has never really hit the mainstream, he gives what may be the performance of his career as the aloof and idealistic Tom, providing the character's gradual breakdown an extremely impressive weight. It adds up to an exceptional commentary on the state of love and relationships today, and a beautifully heartbreaking trip for the audience.

9 out of 10.