500 Days of Summer: a look back

I was with Beb.

She wanted to see this movie, 500 Days of Summer.

I have no problem with watching so called "chick-flicks". I am a movie fanatic. For me, watching movies has a lot of benefits. First, time with Beb. Second, I am entertained. Third, I have this chance to see great story tellers present their work. (Have you ever heard of this movie - City of god? For me, this is one of the greatest action movie ever filmed!)


Of course, there are Hollywood movies. The one with big stars (like Tom Cruise, Will Smith or Brad Pitt) and big budgets (like The Transformer). And there's something called 500 Days of Summer. A Little Miss Sunshine kinda movie.

It's been awhile since I got curious, technically curious, on how the director told the story. And when the story is about love, my attention is piqued even further because - how can one tell a story about love? To tell a story about infatuation is not that hard. Lust story? Even easier. But love? I mean, love in itself is mysterious. And for a director to tell a story about love, means that the director must understand love first.

Story telling after all is a logical skill but  love is... well, something else = )

Growing up, Sleepless in Seattle was fascinating for it was grown up love. This love story was told without the two main character ever kissing each other. Not that kissing is a bad thing = ) But the director, Nora Ephron, smartly moved away from this usual device, kissing, to sell love. Fascinating = )

Then, we have Before Sunrise. A 1995 film. I actually watched this film at HBO years after 1995. I tuned in because of Ethan Hawke of Dead Poet's Society. What was fascinating about this movie was that for almost all of the 1 hour and 41 minutes, the camera was transfixed on Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy having a "once in lifetime conversation in romantic Paris". Fascinating, because the quality of conversation was the device used to peddle love. Fascinating = )

Then, we have 500 Days of Summer. A Pulp Fiction editing on a "love" story.

The one line that blew me away from this movie is a line told by the best friend of the main actor - "... she is better than my ideal girl. Why? Because she is real."

= )

"... God is love."