Friday, June 26, 2009
THE 15TH LOS ANGELES FILM FESTIVAL
Scott Neustadter, one of the screenwriters of the
new romantic comedy "(500) Days Of Summer" answering an audience member's
question while actress Zooey Deschanel,
who plays Summer, looks on. Marc Webb directed the film, shown tonight at
the 15th Los Angeles Film Festival, in Westwood Village. (Photo: Omar P.L.
Moore/PopcornReel.com)
500 Days Of Romance In Two Hours Flat (Q&A Not
Included)
By
Omar P.L. Moore/PopcornReel.com
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Friday, June 26, 2009
WESTWOOD, California --
Tonight, summer lasted an almighty 500 days -- though it went by lightning fast
-- in precisely two hours to be exact, inside a theater nearby here. Marc
Webb's romantic comedy film "(500) Days Of Summer" wowed the audience at the
15th Los Angeles Film Festival. The film, which opens next month, traces
one young man's hot and cold relationship with a woman he meets at work.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays Tom, and Zooey Deschanel portrays Summer, the young
woman. The film is set and shot in and around Los Angeles and was written
by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber, who joined Ms. Deschanel, Mr.
Gordon-Levitt and Mr. Webb at a post-screening audience Q&A.
The positive reaction for "(500) Days Of Summer" bodes very well for its
release, and Fox Searchlight, the releasing studio, could have a hit on the
order of
"Juno",
"Little Miss Sunshine" or even
"Slumdog Millionaire" on its hands when it is released on July 17
amidst the Harry Potters and G-Forces. Witty, charming and real, Mr.
Webb's film is arguably the best and most authentic romantic comedy to emerge
from the Hollywood studio empire (major or mini-major studio) in this early new
century. For all the lousy romantic films being reflexively churned out of
Hollywood over the last decade or more, "Summer" truly stands alone, and
audiences gave the film a hearty ovation as its end credits began to roll.
During the question-and-answer session one audience member enthusiastically
declared that Mr. Gordon-Levitt could do no wrong. "What can't you do, JGL?",
the young man in the audience wondered aloud. Mr. Gordon-Levitt, last seen
in Spike Lee's 2008 epic film
"Miracle At St. Anna", added to his own repertoire by promptly doing
a backwards somersault in the air on the stage beneath the big screen, which
seemed to impress an eager audience. "I love you, I think you're so
beautiful Zooey, I really do," the young man continued. "I'm sorry, I
don't know you -- you must be crazy," remarked Miss Deschanel in comedic but
dismissive fashion. Her comment was met with a mix of mild derision and
nervous laughter, likely aimed at the young man and his effusiveness rather than
at the actress and her chilly response. (Miss Deschanel became engaged to
be married six months ago, and one doesn't know whether or not she responded
defensively because of that or whether she was uncomfortable with the young
man's comments and the spirit in which he expressed them.)
Where the film was concerned, both Miss Deschanel and Mr. Gordon-Levitt loved
the script by Mr. Weber and Mr. Neustadter, whose own experiences in a
topsy-turvy relationship fueled the screenplay. "I started saying the
lines out loud. When you're doing that, you know you've got something
really good," Mr. Gordon-Levitt remarked. "Me too. I did the same
thing", Miss Deschanel agreed with cheer in her voice. Mr. Webb was
conflicted about the tone of the characters, specifically Miss Deschanel's.
"I didn't know whether to go with red or blue tones", he remarked.
You'll have to see what the director's choice of color was for Miss Deschanel's
character when the film opens in the U.S. and Canada on July 17.
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