(500) Days of Summer

For me, the charm of '(500) Days of Summer' is really simple; it's so unlike anything else. Right from the outset, the film makes it clear that what you're witnessing is not a typical love story, and that's a promise it delivers on in spades. Though in essence it follows exactly the same clichéd pattern for the Hollywood rom-com norm, there is plenty else going on to keep the film's indie feel alive (aside from the fact that it is one, of course).

Not your typical love story... Personally, I don't know what her problem is. I totally would.

Needlesstosay, any film that allows us just over an hour and a half of looking at Joseph Gordon-Levitt is going to be tricky to mark down, but fortunately, there's not much to be disappointed by. Even the time jumps (always a tricky concept to get right without either becoming overly confusing or stupendously annoying) are easy to follow, and actually serve to develop the story and the characters, rather than becoming a directorial add-on.

That said, it's not just the storyline that keeps the film's quirky feel. The visual style, including pencil drawing animations, and simultaneous side-by-side versions of the same scene add real character and charm to the film, and just serve to separate it further from it's (sometimes) stale Hollywood cousins.

Overall then, (500) Days is a really touching little movie, overtly choosing to take a fresh look at a staple movie genre, and rebel against it from the outset. The result received a standing ovation at the Sundance Film Festival in 2009 (so Wikipedia tells me), and truth be told, it's not difficult to see why.