(500) Days of Summer (2009)

Every year there are a handful of independent films that take critics (and occasionally audiences too) by storm. Sometimes these ‘indie darlings’ are overhyped by the pro-indie crowd. In the case of (500) Days of Summer, the hype isn’t hollow. Young stars and a clever story combine for one of the freshest and zaniest romantic comedies in recent memory.

Tom Hansen (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) has a degree in architecture but works in the writing department of a greeting card company. He takes a liking to Summer Fin (Zooey Deschanel), his boss’s intern. She’s cute and they share similar tastes in music, but Summer is an odd duck. As they grow closer together, Tom discovers how difficult it can be to fall in love with a girl who doesn’t believe in true love. Despite her semi-detached stance on their relationship, the couple gives it a shot, progressing through many peaks and valleys.

This film starts out like only a handful of films dare- by telling you exactly how the story is going to end. It then proceeds to use another film technique that is risky and prone to poor execution- the nonlinear narrative. We jump around through various high and low points in the 500 days that Summer Finn is a major part of Tom’s life. Tom is a hopeless romantic to the core and wears his emotions on his sleeve, which leads to a number of humorous but honest glimpses into the whirlwind life of a guy who mistakenly thinks he’s found true love.

If this film had been made in the major Hollywood system, it would have been a bomb. Yes, it has known actors as leads but this film is indie to the core. The writing is too fresh and quirky for Hollywood, whose rom-com writers seem capable of only cutting and pasting clichés and obvious lines into their scripts. The blend of drama and comedy on display here is only something that could have come from a writer and director who are completely devoted to their little creation.

Director Marc Webb had worked exclusively in music videos before helming this film, which explains its perfect sense of rhythm and musicality. A celebratory dance number is even included, allowing Webb to work his gift for pairing action with music. For cynics, this will come ridiculously out of nowhere and seem woefully out of place. For those who actually get and follow the film, it is a harmless and delightful romp that fits the spirit of the picture.

Both Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel are perfectly cast here. Gordon-Levitt’s star has been on the rise the past few years and his performance here shot him into the stratosphere of buzz-worthy Hollywood talent. Here is a young actor that has not been jaded by past success (3rd Rock from the Sun) and, through careful role selection, has broken through the barriers often built up through the label “former child star” to emerge as a legitimate adult actor. He brings Tom Hansen to life. He’s not just playing a character for a paycheck, JGL believes in Tom Hansen and that pays handsome dividends.

For a refreshing change of pace, Deschanel’s typically vacant, oddball acting style is exactly what the role calls for. Summer is a bit out there and rather than have a more ‘normal’ actress pretend to be enigmatic, Deschanel is able to be herself. There’s no disconnect between her and Summer. This is a character that other actresses would struggle to understand and make right. For Deschanel, it’s as if there is a sublime connection between star and subject.

(500) Days of Summer is not your typical rom-com. It’s doesn’t fit the standard pattern and even makes you think a little in order to keep the narrative straight in your head. This alone makes it interesting to me. I can’t help but wonder if I am also subconsciously more interested in the film because it focuses on a man instead of a woman. It’s hard to say, because the male and female characters are all but emotionally reversed in this film, which only adds to the freshness.

A warning to all you formula-addicted chick-flick chuckleheads: this movie is going to make laugh you and think. Can you handle both at once? If not, you best stick with the predictable rubbish that I typically make fun of. If you’re ready for a cinematic treat that’s part reality and part fantasy, pick this gem up. Dysfunctional relationships have never been this whimsical.

RATING: 3.75 out of 5

The Happening (2008)

For months, this film was hyped up to be one of the big event films of the summer. Boasting a talented lead actor and a decent supporting crew, this was M. Night Shyamalan’s first R-rated film. After a pair of films that received lukewarm receptions, it seemed that Shyamalan was laying it all on the table. That could only be a good sign right?

A wave of suicidal behavior, beginning in Central Park, sweeps through New York City, causing mass hysteria. Soon enough, more major cities in the northeast are affected. Is it bio-terrorists? Chemical warfare? Elliot Moore (Mark Wahlberg), a science teacher in Philadelphia, isn’t going to wait around to find out. He shuttles his wife Alma (Zooey Deschanel), along with his colleague Julian (John Leguizamo) and Julian’s daughter Jess onto a train headed for Harrisburg. He hopes that moving away from the urban center will eliminate their risk of exposure to whatever is killing people.

The train stops mid-route because all radio contact has been lost with both Harrisburg and Philadelphia. Julian hitches a ride headed for New Jersey to see if he can find his wife, who is stuck in Princeton. Elliot, Alma, Jess and the others find little time to relax as people start succumbing to the mysterious ailment. It seems nowhere is safe, forcing the trio and a few others to flee across suburban and rural landscapes in an attempt to stay one step ahead of certain death.

The mystery behind the killing phenomenon in The Happening is really quite good. In fact, the idea is brilliant- have people running from something they can’t see, hear, touch, taste or smell. Shymalan did wonders with delivering terror from unknown sources in the past, so I can see why he returned to this theme. The problem lies in the execution. When the only thing a film has going for it is its gorgeous scenery, you know there’s a problem.

Less than a week before the film premiered, M. Night Shyamalan stated in an interview that the film was an excellent B movie, which was his intent. This was probably news to the marketing department at 20th Century Fox, because they were putting out very serious-toned advertisements. Perhaps if it had been marketed as a B movie that shouldn’t be taken seriously, moviegoers would have responded more kindly. That strategy worked for Snakes on a Plane and the recent Piranha 3D but those films didn’t even take themselves seriously, let alone expect the audience to. The Happening sends out mixed signals that don’t mesh with the director’s prospective damage control comments.

The biggest disappointment is the reason for the killing phenomenon. Plants, which can evidently produce toxins to eliminate threats in more isolated environments (science, please!), gang up on the human race and unleash a wave of neurotoxins capable of mass extinction. This is proposed as a solution early on and is adopted pretty swiftly by Elliot, so I have no shame in revealing it here. Besides, if spoiling the cause prevents you from seeing this film, you can thank me later. This leads to a lot of ridiculous worried glances being cast towards any number of plants for much of the film.

Almost as disappointing as the chlorophyll-composed killers is the acting. Mark Wahlberg was nominated for Best Supporting Actor in The Departed, so his performance here boggles the mind. His delivery is like that of a hopeless wannabe not even fit for the Z-List of acting talent. Zooey Deschanel dispenses her typically vacant performance except this is not a film where that will work. It seems like she can only portray awkwardness, rather than fear and sadness. The chemistry between her and Wahlberg is paper thin at best, making it hard to buy into the rebuilding of their strained relationship.

There are also a lot of things that don’t make any sense. For instance, people take refuge inside homes and other buildings to escape the neurotoxins in the air. Correct me if I’m wrong, but won’t those neurotoxins find their way into the air ducts of that house? It’s not like the angel of death passing you by because there’s blood on your doorjamb. But hey, if an everyday household air filter can put the brakes on the end of the world, I’d like to buy some stock in whoever makes those things.

If the film had been played up for laughs rather than being unintentionally funny, I could buy into the B-movie bit. The Happening could have been an amusing romp through 50s and 60s era paranoia-film nostalgia. Too bad for everyone involved that the film starts out acting all serious and dramatic. You can’t put up that kind of front and then yell ‘psych!’

I’ve enjoyed all of M. Night Shyamalan’s films on some level up until now. It’s sad to see a once-bright star go dim but I’d like to think this is just a momentary flicker. In a few years M. Night will be back on top again, stunning us all.

RATING: 1.25 out of 5

Yes Man (2008)

In 1994, Jim Carrey took Hollywood by storm with Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. For the next four years he could do no wrong and could make any comedy a hit at the box office. Carrey dabbled in non-screwball territory long enough to hurt his stock. Since then he has been reduced to trying to recapture that old shtick and magic of yesteryear. Carrey nearly pulls it off again in Yes Man.

The nature of Carrey’s comedic prowess is in itself a hindrance. He is one of the finest character actors of the last 20 years and completely loses himself in his role. His most memorable roles are those for which he engaged in high amounts of physical comedy. The truth is that audiences became accustomed to caring only for Carrey’s antics and not the substance of his characters. As his career as continued, Carrey has shown more interest in characters that have something to say but audiences only care how he says it.

Yes Man initially fits the Jim Carrey mold- a guy finds himself in an inescapable situation that is prone to all sorts of humorous situations (think The Mask, Liar, Liar and Bruce Almighty). After reluctantly attending a self-development conference, Carl Allen (Carrey) finds himself unwilling to say no to any offer or situation that comes his way. He’s trying all kinds of new things and meeting new people, including the lovely Allison (played by Zooey Deschanel with her usual, awkwardly vacant approach).

This time around, there isn’t anything supernatural or beyond his control keeping Carrey’s predicament going. It’s all just a misinterpretation of a self-help guru’s pitch. Along the way the filmmakers get off track by trying to throw a few lessons at us. In case you hadn’t noticed, filmmakers, Jim Carrey’s last few comedies-that-care weren’t received well by audiences. What makes you think it will work this time?

Carrey seems to be going through the same mid-life dilemma that hit Robin Williams. As an artist, he wants to do more than just comedy but the masses don’t really care. In the meantime, a new generation of yuck-men has stolen Carrey’s limelight, making him less and less of a box office draw each year. Thus we get films like Yes Man, which try to bring us in by assuring us that it’s the tried and true Carrey formula. The problem is that formulas get boring and predictable and Yes Man doesn’t even allow Carrey to hit full stride. The funniest moments come either as quickly edited clips or they get hijacked by the film’s mediocre romance element.

While the concept of a man who can’t say ‘no’ has plenty of comedic potential, the filmmakers seem content to let the film ride it out in second gear. Carrey also seems willing to let this happen. Maybe he’s realized that he doesn’t have the clout to demand changes to a script anymore. More likely, he realizes that he has to make a film like this every couple years to stay relevant and is just rolling with it. Either way, it’s kind of sad to see.

Yes Man will make you laugh but it won’t make an impression. It seems that the Jim Carrey formula is finally faltering. Some will be surprised that this is possible. Others will be surprised that it took this long. Whichever camp you fall into, there is enough good-natured and zany humor in Yes Man for us all to sit back, relax and watch what might be one of Jim Carrey’s last legitimately funny movies, however uninspired it may feel.

RATING: 3.25 out of 5