500 Days of Summer

2009 (Marc Webb) PG, 95 min
Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Zoey Deschanel

Not exactly the non-love story its omniscient narrator claims it to be, (500) Days is Say Anything with a realist bent. Imagine Lloyd Dobler ten years on (Tom, played by Gordon-Levitt), still a romantic idealist with a penchant for unattainable brunettes. Substitute "aspiring architect" for "aspiring kickboxer." Then, to mess things up, throw in a female lead (Deschanel's Summer) who is forthrightly unromantic- after their fling goes south, dreamgirl Summer is unmoved by Tom's metaphorical boombox serenades. A Dobler mix tape-worthy soundtrack reflects and heightens both characters' appeal- from The Smiths to Carla Bruni and, be still my heart, a choreographed Hall and Oates number. Funny, relatable, and, for those who find it relatable, more than a little painful, (500) Days is a "visually witty, flawlessly played romantic comedy" (Chicago Reader).