Call me crazy. I do, I know everyone loved "500 Days of Summer". They all told me about how wonderful the lead actors were and how they loved the movie's playful-artyness, its hipster-coma-inducing soundtrack, it's post-modern-omniscient narrator... But I didn't like it.
Well, I did like the above elements... but as a movie, I didn't like it. Here's why:
Even thought the movie tells us, in the first few seconds, that the relationship it features won't work out... I didn't like being taken in. I felt like the entire movie was an inside view of this quirky relationship; we were exposed to its cuteness and had (almost) no choice but to fall in love with the idea of them. And then, swiftly, they had ended things and (spoiler alert) she was engaged to another man.
This blog put it well:
500 uses its high concept design and totems of a romanticized long-lost counterculture (Joy Division t-shirts, conversations about The Smiths) as cover for a rendering of the rules of the romantic game that’s as deeply shallow and and ready-to-eat safe as any studio product.Ahhh, and there it is. I think the thing that most frustrated me was this movie's clear depiction of current relationships. People start dating, become incredibly physically connected, occasionally delve into some level of emotional connection, and inevitably move on. Except that they can't move on.
I'm not really wanting this post to be about soul ties. I do think that cultural norms that are highly destructive (like the "deeply shallow" game of romance happening around us) need to change.
When Sarah and I began dating, we decided that it would be marriage or bust. There was no potential to just play around and then move on. I wish that same approach to relationships could be the norm.
Hmmm, I'm rambling now. Would love to know your thoughts.
2 comments:
Good blog Andrew. Nice read. I did enjoy the movie, but I found many parts of it frustrating. I was frustrated with the actions of the two main characters, but at the same time it was a fairly accurate reflection of our culture. I could rant for hours about this topic, but I'll keep it to two main observations.
First of all, the communication between the two of them was awful. Neither of them felt safe enough in the relationship to say how they really felt. They were trying to protect their hearts by not opening up too much and being vulnerable, but ironically they were willing to be intimate and physical without thinking twice about it. Cultural reflection? Absolutely (unfortunately). I appreciated that they showed the negative consequences of bad communication, because in most movies with a happy ending the couples still don't communicate, they just magically know what the other person is thinking.
The other thing that really bugged me about the movie was how the leading female constantly played the ignorance card. She was clearly leading him on, and she didn't seem to care. It was a selfish act that is often justified by naively "not realizing" how ones actions can affect the other person... She liked the fact that he liked her, and was willing to sacrifice his emotions because she liked being around him and the attention that she got out of it. Not a nice move.
I could go on for days... Good blog topic.
I haven't seen the movie, but I like your thoughts. I've said it before... but our society places no value on longevity. I fear that this isn't being sufficiently addressed by wise people.
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