DVD Review: 500 Days of Summer (Blu-ray)
500 Days of Summer shines on Blu-ray and after a week on the shelves I have finally found time to get my review up on the site. Thank you to those nice folks at Fox for passing it too me; I now honor you with my positive words of reflection on one of my favorite films of the year on glorious HD.
With its touted 2.40:1 framed, 1080p/AVC-encoded transfer (I read that on the package), it’s impossible not to fall for the beautiful cuteness of the film’s star Zoe Deschanel. Marc Webb’s gorgeously shot film has a vibrant color palette that captures that indie style but with a scope and intrigue usually reserved for something with a larger budget. Finally the boasted 50GB dual-layer disc has no noticeable compression issues or other anomalies to ruin the mood and tone of the film.
The movie is a stylish comedy that bends itself out of the cliche love story amidst impossible odds and merely packages this quirky aftermath of love with style, fashion and great music. Quirky, cute and a soundtrack that is sure to be one of the most downloaded this year, 500 Days of Summer, has one of the best scenes of the year with very gleefully sweet moment. When Tom Haden (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) greets the morning after his first “night” with Summer (Zoe Deschanel); his reflection in a car window is transformed into a winking Han Solo, passing pedestrians shoot him smiles and high-fives, and the world momentarily turns into a musical set to rival Rogers and Hammerstein productions with Hall & Oates’ “You Make My Dreams,” as the soundtrack, we are complete with a marching band and an animated bluebird on Tom’s shoulder. It’s probably the unexpected thing I’ve seen in a film all year, and it completely sells Tom’s heightened happiness.
This is just one shining example of Marc Webb’s non-linear, non-traditional rom-com. Its about survival and anyone who has ever sat back to review their pining adventure in romance with a former flame will relate to this movie whole heartedly because its the boy-meets- girl, boy-loses-girl story. The movie differentiates itself with an effectively non- linear narrative, making the film the chronicle of a breakup foretold, a book of unrequited love where the last page is read first.
Blu-ray Extras and Special Features
In Movie Commentary with Director Marc Webb, Writers – Michael Weber, Scott Neustadter- and Actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt – A great insightful audio track all three participants keep it loose with constant enthusiasm about the project. If you like commentaries and you will like 500 Days of Summer.
Last Days of Summer: Deleted and Extended Scenes - nine new scenes are included here, one of interest is the one that shows Tom’s worst morning ever. As always they are available with optional commentary by Director Marc webb, writer Michael Weber, writer Scott Neustadter and actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
Not a Love Story: Making 500 Days of Summer – Exclusive documentary just for the Blu-ray this is a comprehensive look at the film’s production, with a special emphasis on the thought that went into the cinematography, costuming, and set design. Features interviews with director Marc Webb, writers Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber and many others.
Summer at Sundance – In case you weren’t able to go to Park City, Utah this feature allows you to follow director Marc Webb around Robert Redford’s Sundance Film Festival and eventually to 500 Days of Summer’s premiere, where it received a standing ovation.
Audition Tapes – Includes brief tapes for Geoffrey Arend (4:23) and Matthew Gray Gubler (2:38), with optional commentary by director Marc Webb.
Summer Storyboards – Two storyboard sequences are included here, Summer Effect (1:36) and Reality/Expectations(1:55). By pressing the “angle” button on your remote you can switch between storyboards and a storyboard to film comparison. Available with optional commentary by director Marc Webb.
Bank Dance Directed by Marc Webb – A music video for one of Zooey D’s songs, shot inside one of the banks that was robbed in Set It Off.
Mean’s Cinemash: “Sid and Nancy / 500 Days of Summer” - Playing off the Sid and Nancy reference in the film, director Marc Webb put together this little mash-up, which features Joseph Gordon-Levitt playing Nancy, in a bad wig, and Zooey Deschanel as Sid, with a not-so-bad Cockney accent.
Music Video: “Sweet Disposition” by The Temper Trap – All I have to say is this music video is so weird it kind of freaked me out.
Conversations with Zooey and Joseph – In these brief conversational promos, Zooey and Joseph talk about acting versus reality, the creative process, their favorite spots in L.A., karaoke, and music.
Filmmaking Specials - Four brief 500 Days of Summer featurettes, in which director Marc Webb talks about casting Zooey and Joe, the “Summer Effect”, the French film references and the intentional color palette. Next, we have two segments of Fox Movie Channel Presents, In Character with Zooey Deschanel and In Character with Joseph Gordon-Levitt .
Trailers – Includes high definition trailers for Amelia, Fame, and Adam.
Ultimately we highly recommend this movie has a Buy, because if your were not lucky enough to see it in theaters or at the film festivals then buy it because we know you’ll love it!
