(500) Days of Summer (Fox): A smart and inventive romantic comedy that explores the failed romance of a couple (Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel) in a quirky and non-linear fashion.
Directed by Marc Webb and scripted by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber it became a something of a minor hit back in the summer and has earned plaudits for its unconventional approach to the genre.
Although it occasionally suffers from a bit too much kooky quirkiness, the two lead performances are good value as is the sequence which makes creative use of Hall & Oatesā āYou Make My Dreamsā.
The DVD and Blu-ray Disc contains the following extras:
Directorās Commentary
Lost Days of Summer: 9 Deleted and Extended Scenes
(500) Days of Summer (Fox): A smart and inventive romantic comedy that explores the failed romance of a couple (Joseph Gordon-Levitt andĀ Zooey Deschanel) in a quirky and non-linear fashion. Directed by Marc Webb and scripted by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber it became a something of a minor hit back in the summer and has earned plaudits for itsĀ unconventionalĀ approach to the genre. [Read the full review here]
District 9 (Sony Pictures): One of the surprise films of the summer is this sci-fi action film directed by Neil Blomkamp and produced by Peter Jackson. The premise is Independence Day in Johannesburg with a twist – here the government and military areĀ oppressingĀ visiting aliens (dubbed ‘prawns’) who are herded into refugee camps.
Based on a short film Blomkamp had previously made, it starts as a mock-documentary following a government supervisor (Sharlto Copley) as he tries to move the aliens out of their camps but soon turns into something else after things take an unexpected turn.
A clever and engaging premise is helped by a convincing central performance by Copley and some marvellous visual effects by WETA which really bring the aliens to life, especially in the daytime sequences. Although the transition between the faux-documentary approach and shoot-em-up actioner isn’t always successful there is enough energy and thought here to make this one of the best films of its type in the last couple of years.
Made a comparatively modest for $30 million, the project came about after Jackson’s plans for Halo film with Blomkamp fell through and they chose to expand hisĀ 2005 short film Alive in Joburg and film it in South Africa.Ā QED International fully financed the production, underwriting the negative cost, and Sony acquired the distribution rights (under the TriStar Pictures banner) for the US, UK and other key territories.
After screening at Comic-Con, the buzz began to build in earnest and a savvy marketing campaign (along with a certain ‘ooh, what’s this?’ factor) meant that the film hit the top spot at the US box office. Sony can expect similar box office returns here and it would be a shock if it didn’t get to number 1 this week.Ā [London & Nationwide / Cert 15]
The narrative is presented out of sequence, with each scene being introduced by which of the 500 days it is. The film got mostly positive reviews when it opened in the US back in July and although more naturally sour UK critics will be less embracing it could do decent business amongst audiences not fancying District 9.
Fox Searchlight did a decent job releasing it Stateside (where it grossed $25 million on a production budget of $7.5m) and Fox here can expect decent returns despite the lack of major star power.Ā [Odeon West End & Nationwide / Cert 12A]
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IN LIMITED RELEASE
Big River Man (Revolver Entertainment): A documentary that follows the Slovenian ultra marathon swimmnerĀ Martin Strel, as he attempts to cover 3,375 miles in what is being billed as the world’s longest swim. Strel previously completed record swims in the Danube, Mississippi and Yangzte rivers and holds several Guinness World Records.Ā [London & Key Cities / Cert 15]
Bustin’ Down The Door (Metrodome): Surfing documentary directed by Jeremy Gosch which chronicles the rise of professional surfing in the early 70s. [BFI Imax London / Cert 15]
Passchendaele (High Fliers Films): A Canadian war film written, directed by and starring Paul Gross which focuses on the experiences of his grandfather, Michael Dunne, a soldier who served in the 10th Battalion, CEF in the First World War at the Battle of Passchendaele (also known as the Third Battle of Ypres). [Odeon Panton Street / Cert 15]
Red Baron (Showbox Entertainment): A German biopic about the legendary World War I fighter pilot Manfred von Richthofen (Matthias Schweighƶfer), directed by Nikolai MĆ¼llerschƶn. [Apollo Piccadilly Circus / Cert 12A]
Tricks (New Wave Films): Polandās entry for this yearās Oscar for Best Foreign Film is a drama about a family in a sleepy provincial town from director Andrzej Jakimowski. [Key Cities / Cert 12A]
Greek Pete (Peccadillo Pictures): A semi-improvised drama about a group of London rent boys, directed by Andrew Haigh. [Shortwave Cinema (SE1) & Key Cities / Cert 18]
(500) Days of Summer (Fox): A smart and inventive romantic comedy that explores the failed romance of a couple (Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel) in a quirky and non-linear fashion.
