(500) Days of Summer

I saw this film today. Not too sure how to explain my liking of the film, but I'll try to explain my after thoughts: I think I like it. I liked it for it's soundtrack. It started off with a song I really like from The Smiths (so that's a plus). I liked it for it's simple story-telling format (nothing new or groundbreaking, but defn. suitable for the storyline). I liked it because it isn't the typical "love-story" we all are accustomed to seeing in Hollywood films (though I believe this is an indie-type film). I liked it bc it is a story of a young man who falls " hopelessly deeply in love" with the young, independent, "free-spirited," and unique woman (usually it's the other way around).

But this is where I have trouble: I think I don't know if I can say I fully liked the film bc I didn't know how to feel about the young free-spirited woman and her actions with the young man. I want to defend her and say that this young woman is not at fault for any pain involved bc she was upfront with her feelings and intentions the entire relationship/interaction with the young man. I want to say it is the young man's fault for deciding to pursue the young woman with the knowledge of her feelings. However, I found myself disliking the young woman for contradicting her own words and "misleading" the young man.

But this is where I begin to see the reality of this situation and begin to appreciate the film as well. I appreciate it because as much as we dislike or disagree with this young woman for "misleading" the young man, I realize that we all have experienced this situation before, whether we were the young woman who is upfront with our feelings/intentions yet contradicts with our actions at the expense of another's feelings; or we are the young man who, despite the knowledge of the young woman's intentions, go thru with "gray areas" of a relationship. Gray-area meaning there is no official label, we say we are friends, but we carry on an intimate romantic relationship.

I guess by watching this we either confront ourselves with how we are when we deal with other people's feelings in romantic relationships/friendships, or we just remember our past experiences and our old ways.

Anyway, I also appreciate the film for it's message on fate/destiny and "the one." I know we all have our own opinions on this topic, but without spoiling the rest of the film, I do want to say that sometimes the brutal truth of futile relationships is that maybe that one other person was never able to find/feel what you may have felt for them; and as much as that other person tried so hard to feel it (bc he/she really wanted to feel what you felt) by giving it time or putting in time (which most times causes frustration, pain, agony, confusion for both parties), sometimes both parties just have to accept the truth in the end that it just won't work out.....

....and that there is somebody else out there more compatible and this "somebody else" could just be anybody.

BOTTOM LINE: I RECOMMEND THIS FILM! It is cute.