Review: "(500) DAYS OF SUMMER"

If there's one film genre that I've come to detest in recent years, it's the romantic comedy. A victim of the same formula dressed up as something "new" or "original", the genre lost my respect when it seemed that no filmmaker would be daring and disregard the same old story:

1. Boy meets girl.

2. Boy and girl develop a cordial friendship.

3. Boy and girl discover that they just LOVE each other.

4. Boy and girl happily begin a romantic relationship.

5. Montage #1 (Happy).

6. Tensions gradually begin to build, be it because of a perceived slight, a former lover entering the picture, or an argument blown out of proportion.

7. Boy and girl break up.

8. Montage #2 (Sad).

9. Thanks to the help/sound advice of their wacky/wise-beyond-their-years friends, boy and girl rediscover how they're meant for each other.

10. Boy and girl reunite. Credits roll.

It just gets tiring. Not only does this formula remain stale, but it can present a non-realistic depiction of relationships, and it never presents the possibility that not all romances are meant to be. How relieved I was, then, when I happened upon (500) Days of Summer, a brilliant, delightful, and wholly original anti-romance, bolstered by a terrific script, taut direction, a wonderfully unconventional non-linear storytelling device, and completely engaging performances by the two leads.

Tom Hansen (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is a text-writer for a Los Angeles greeting card company, but his heart and passion is for architecture. It's during a meeting at work that he discovers his boss' new assistant, Summer Finn (Zooey Deschanel). Instantly smitten, Tom (following a drunken karaoke session), lets slip that he's attracted to Summer. The attraction is revealed to be mutual, and over the following months, the two become close.

However, Summer makes it clear that she doesn't believe in love or the whole boyfriend/girlfriend dynamic. This obstacle proves to be a major obstacle for Tom, whose ideas of true love are not held by Summer.

Executed in a non-linear format where the story jumps back and forth from various days in Tom and Summer's 500-day relationship, (500) Days fabulously examines the highs and lows of a relationship, juxtaposing the pure bliss of puppy love with the devastating realities of rejection. It also studies in a non-cynical way about how fate and destiny may be entirely fictional concepts, and how the world instead operates purely on coincidence. The film is free of cliche or schmaltz, and yet it brims with a genuine sense of warmth, realism, and intimacy.

First-time feature director and acclaimed music video helmer Marc Webb, working from a wonderful script by Michael Weber and Scott Neustadter, effortlessly balances the emotions at play. We're not merely observers of Tom's story: we practically feel like we're involved. We feel his confusion, sadness, and frustration during his moments of heartbreak; we also feel his joy when he's on top of the world (best personified by quite possibly the most sublime musical number seen in a non-musical film, set to Hall & Oates' "You Make My Dreams").

Of course, the film would be nothing without its stars. Continuing to prove that he's one of the finest actors of his generation, Joseph Gordon-Levitt delivers a performance of a lifetime. Clearly having grown tremendously as an actor since his "3rd Rock from the Sun" and 10 Things I Hate About You days, Gordon-Levitt is superb as the lovesick romantic whose ideas of true love may not be entirely realistic.

Zooey Deschanel is terrific as the girl that Tom considers "The One". Charming, bright, and incredibly adorable, Deschanel gives a fully-fleshed performance so convincing and engaging that WE fall in love with her too.

So to be clear, (500) Days of Summer is NOT a love story. It IS a boy-meets-girl story, but that's pretty much where the similarities with conventional romance movies end. It's a thoughtful examination on the nature of love, destiny, and how some things in life just can't be explained. It reminds one that life can be full of sad endings, yet still have the potential for new beginnings. One of the best "romantic" films I've ever seen thanks to its uncoventional-yet-genuine storytelling (reminding one of classics like Annie Hall, Love Actually, and High Fidelity) and astounding work both on camera and off, you'll wish this Summer never ends.

Letter Grade: "A"

Review: "ANVIL! THE STORY OF ANVIL"

I'm a huge metal fan. Always have been, always will be. There's just something about the long hair, the outlandish costumes, the over-the-top machismo, the macabre lyrics, and the high intensity of the power chords that puts a big smile on my face. To me, bands like Black Sabbath, Metallica, Motorhead, Slayer, and Twisted Sister were more than just musicians: they were consummate showmen, doing more than just singing and playing instruments. They were the like the carnival act of the music world.

How mad I was at myself, then, that I had never heard of Anvil. A Canadian heavy metal band formed in 1978, Anvil was considered a seminal influence on greats like Lemmy Kilmister of Motorhead, Slash of Guns 'n Roses, Scott Ian of Anthrax, and Lars Ulrich of Metallica. However, unlike their '70s and '80s contemporaries, Anvil never experienced true superstardom, despite having cult popularity and legions of dedicated fans across the world.

Despite releasing twelve studio albums, for the last twenty years Anvil has mostly played at small-time venues, still rocking hard despite their relative obscurity. However, a second chance at hitting it big arrived, and is chronicled in Anvil! The Story of Anvil, a touching, intimate, funny, and incredibly inspirational rockumentary from British director Sacha Gervasi (who actually served as one of the band's roadies for three tours during the 1980s).

The film starts with archival footage of the 1984 Super Rock festival held in Japan, with headlining acts including Bon Jovi, Whitesnake, the Scorpions, and Anvil. An onscreen title states that all of the acts went on to sell millions of records... except for Anvil. The band never went on to the success they strived for, and in the present day, they live "normal" lives, playing bars and tiny venues at night for little money (though their hardcore fans still show up).

Having been friends since they were fourteen, lead singer/guitarist Steve "Lips" Kudlow and drummer Robb Reiner (no, not the director of the classic This is Spinal Tap, though some similarities can be drawn between the 1984 mockumentary and Anvil's story) made a pact to make it to the big time. Despite their mediocre success, the two remained together well into their fifties. They and their fellow band members have been going through financial difficulty, but still haven't given up on rocking hard.

Anvil! follows the band through a promising return to the limelight in a troubled European tour, money problems, a shaky production of their thirteenth album, and internal strife between Lips and Robb. But it's also a chronicle of human perserverance, chasing one's dreams, and never letting go of what you truly love. In a way, Anvil! is the non-fiction, music-themed answer to last year's The Wrestler, about the struggles of returning to one's glory days and true passions.

As the film progressed, I became more and more surprised at how I've never heard of Anvil. Several times throughout the movie, I caught myself banging my head to their songs (including their signature "Metal on Metal"). When the movie captures Anvil performing either in huge arenas or tiny bars, the cathartic joy on Kudlow and Reiner's faces says a million words: money or not, success or not, the presence of their loyal fans is all the reward they need.

Anvil! The Story of Anvil is a moving, uplifting, and highly entertaining look at an aging band's "never-say-die" attitude. The fans and the music are all that matter to them; it's what keeps them alive. At times hilarious, and at times incredibly heartbreaking (this reviewer became a little choked up a couple times throughout), but always inspirational, Anvil! The Story of Anvil not only goes to eleven, but it goes straight to your very soul.

Letter Grade: "A"