Movie: (500) days of Summer (Release Date: 8 October 2009)
Obviously, I managed to catch a sneak preview =)
Movie trailer site: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsD0NpFSADM&feature=fvst
This was not exactly a typical romantic comedy. It was a tragic romance. Don’t get me wrong, nobody died or anything, it’s just that I had a different expectation to how this movie would turn out. It was however, very funny. For girls, this movie gives a brief insight into how clueless the male species can be. Like when the adult male protagonist always looks to his kid sister for advice. For boys: You would be thinking, “That’s so true! Why are women so oblivious?” As the story unfolds, you’ll find that not only the verbal exchange between the couple is entertaining, but the way Zooey Deschanel acts, her body language and facial expressions, in the nonverbal communication sense is really hilarious. Apart from that, the omniscient “commentator” definitely lends a comic element to this movie as well.
Cognitive schemata are seen in the personality contrasts between the two characters. Although both come from a broken family, their mental framework and ideals in love, from the separate upbringing, differ quite significantly. One believes in the stereotyped romances in books and movies and so forth, while the other doesn’t believe that love exists.
The movie script, unlike most movies, involves the jumping from date to date within the five hundred days. In other words, the movie doesn’t follow a fully clear chronological order. However, these leaps through the past and present show the great contrast in the progress or the deterioration of the relationship. While the characters would find themselves caught in a similar or familiar situation, only the audience would be able to see the differences and compare it.
My favorite part of the movie was when they showed a scene which was split into half: One side showed the male character’s expectations, while the other showed the reality unfolding, (which must have been nauseating to the man). This is one instance where the male character’s curiosity and his hope for closure (meaning the success in his relationship with Summer), caused him even more pain and disappointment. Well, obviously everything did not turn out as planned and the whole “patch-up relationship script” was a total flop.
All in all, this movie teaches us to live life and enjoy it. Only when the time is right, you yourself would know when to take a leap from your comfort zone into the unknown. I thought this show was brilliantly and unusually filmed as the contrasts open for discussion are so wide and it gives the audience a clearer picture of what message the show was trying to convey in the end. A good question for me to ask would be: Has everything always met up with your perceptions and expectations in life? Are there other ways besides positive thinking to avoid or overcome such disappointment?
Certainly, life isn’t all that simple, but we still live.
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yes. Nonverbal cues convey some messages to others too, which eventually lead to the different types of perception to others.
ReplyDeleteI believe that others' interpretation of someone is also very crucial. One may try to speak up and contribute a lot of his ideas, but the others may not think along the same line. Others may perceived it as being boastful. Hence, we can only take life easy and attempt to change others' perception of oneself one step at a time.
To charlenetan: Thank you for your comment! I agree with what you say. I guess most people would only truly understand one another when they are familiar and comfortable with whichever party.
ReplyDeletePerception is indeed a tricky thing. We need to be careful and sure before we judge any of the people around us.
I think the best part of life is us not being able to predict what will happen next.
ReplyDeleteIf we step back and have less expectation of people, we will always be pleasantly surprised. However if we press on too hard for something we want to happen(and it does not occur later) we will be less happy with the outcome.
To Yen Ling: Thank you for your comment! It is true that the unpredictability of life can present itself with surprises, both good and bad. When we lower our exoectations, we can more easily avoid disappointment. However, our human nature hardly ever allows for low expectations due to human aspirations and goals. Naturally we would hope for the best in every situation.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to catch this film. Very intrigued by the title and what I read about it.
ReplyDeleteIt's true that we follow many different scripts in our daily lives and things often do not happen the way we though it would, which makes our lives much more exciting and meaningful. If everything goes exactly according to a plan, wouldn't life be just a chore?
I agree with YenLing that a lower expectation of others would make us happier and more satisfied with all our relationships.
I feel that other's perception of oneself is due mainly to our own communicative methods. Why do i say this? Well its because if you think about it, such perceptions others have on you are usually shared by almost everyone who knows you, not just that one person. Hence this leaves you to think why is it that some people are judged as boastful while others are just deemed outgoing or eager to learn? Well it may be because the former was talking in a certain tone or using a certain body language that gives others the sense that he/she is vying for the limelight while the latter portrays a more humble image. Thus we shouldn't really try to change someone's perception on us but rather change ourselves for the better.
ReplyDeleteAnd another thing is that lowering your expectation of others will not do the trick. Rather setting a reasonable expectation for the person will be both good for everyone. This is because with expectations, a bare minimum is set, and this serves as a motivation for the person to improve his own character for the better in order to meet such standard. This will thus allow the person to be more acceptable in society( in terms of social conduct) and etc. Why then, does lowering your expectation not work u ask? Well it works if your expectations are too high to begin with but imagine if initially the person lacks social etiquette and is already eating like a barbarian, if u lowered your expectation still, wouldn't he/she be eating like a beast, since a restrain or bare minimum is not imposed on him (pls take note that its a extreme case and that even though any person in the right frame of mind wouldn't do this to keep his/her image, it is because of the underlying expectation of social conduct inherent in society that prevents it, which further proves my point of expectations on one's character). I doubt having a spouse that eats like a beast will actually make u happier and better the relationship right? Hence the conclusion would be to set a reasonable expectation rather than lower it (unless yours is unreasonably high to begin with).
To Christopher: Thank you for your comment! Life sure is full of surprises and I'll bet most people wouldn't mind having it unpredictable. As mentioned before, lowering our expectations certainly is a way to counter possible disappointment.
ReplyDeleteTo Anonymous: Thank you for your ESSAY (I mean comment)! Well its interesting that you say we shouldn't try to change someone's perception of us, but instead chnage ourselves for the better. Indeed, it is imparative that we change ourselves for the better. But, isn't the aim of doing so mostly to get others to see that their first perceptions of us could have been possibly wrong so that they could see us in a different light?
ReplyDeleteNo doubt a reasonable expectation would do us more good than harm. Then again, by human nature, we would set our expectation to be high, simply because we are thinking and competitive creatures. I must say that setting a reasonable expectation is in fact the most ideal, but at the same time, it is a rather utopian view that would be taken on by a minority of people.
This is a perculiar show. It does have an interesting twist in the end though. I think positive thinking is about the best way to go about life. Optimism can only keep you up when you're actually down. Nothing always meets a person's expectations. Thats what makes life a roller coaster.
ReplyDeleteTo Amanda: Thank you for your comment! I fully agree with the optimism bit =) Sadly, it doesn't always apply to everyone and we tend to think of the worst that could happen. It's perfectly normal and it is unhealthy. I only know a handful of people who could never say "die" when stuck in some sticky situation. These people are really hard to come across.
ReplyDeleteWinter gloom? Personally I haven't watched the show, but it sounds like it doesn't end in the traditional "love is in the air" romance way.
ReplyDeleteLife is what you make it I guess?
So just live it through the ups and downs, as the experience gained would give you a more fruitful and exhilarating life.
To dot: Thank you for your comment!
ReplyDeleteI fully agree with what you said, that life is all about how we live it. Ups and downs are unavoidable but we can certainly gain more life experiences, and perhaps learn more lessons in life each time.
By the way, WATCH IT! Its good =) Like you said, its not the traditional type of love story. In the first place, the movie trailer gives you the warning that the story does not go the way most people think a typical love story would.
Life definitely isn't what its cracked up to be. It's hard, and it can't always meet your expectations. That would be a fairy tale. Optimism and expecting less does help though. We just have to take life as it comes and hope that we don't fall so hard that we can't get up.
ReplyDeleteTo =): Thank you for your comment! Like I've mentioned before, life's a roller coaster, and we've got to learn to pick ourselves up each time we fall. Not stay down and get stepped on.
ReplyDeleteIt'll only become more difficult to get up and start again, and it would definitely be more painful >.<
I heard the show was good... though some of my friends said it was boring... haha.
ReplyDeleteAnyway totally agree that life's a roller coaster, we have to stay and ride it out.. quiting at anypoint is suicidal xD
To A spark of genuine randomness: Thank you for your comment! Of course we can't give up on life. We have to ride it out and reap the rewards that life would eventually bring us. Quitting would definitely be a suicidal move 0.0
ReplyDeleteI guess for all the hopeless romantics out there this issues raised in this movie, the anticipation and uncertainty.
ReplyDeleteTake heart all you hopeless romantics out there.
ReplyDeletetime is a great healer... or so i'm told
Addressing the second anonymous:
ReplyDeleteThe False Friends by Dorothy Parker
"They laid their hands upon my head,
They stroked my cheek and brow;
And time could heal a hurt, they said,
And time could dim a vow.
And they were pitiful and mild
Who whispered to me then,
"The heart that breaks in April, child,
Will mend in May again."
Oh, many a mended heart they knew.
So old they were, and wise.
And little did they have to do
To come to me with lies!
Who flings me silly talk of May
Shall meet a bitter soul;
For June was nearly spent away
Before my heart was whole."
FYI...TIME IS NO HEALER!!!!
To Anonymous 1: Thank you for your comment! Surely anticipation and uncertainty are things that people would feel about relationships and life whether or not they watch this movie. Everything is unexpected, which makes life all the more surprising and exciting.
ReplyDeleteTo Anonymous 2: Thank you for your comment! It is true that time is agreat healer. But it really also depends on the individual. You've got to move on and not live in the past. Some get stuck in the same place and thus don't even come close to closing the old wounds, making them prejudiced about relationships.
ReplyDeleteTo heart broken: Thank you for your comment! Dorothy Parker certainly sounds like a woman scorned. She states really clearly that time did not mend her broken heart. Obviously and not very discreetly, she is against the idea of time being a healer. Once again, I think it is up to an individual to want to move on. How ever hard it may be, these wounds cannot be easily healed but they will in time.
ReplyDeleteI've just watched this movie with my utterly ignorant classmates who happen to be older than me by 2years and yet cringe upon hearing the word "penis". like...seriously...
ReplyDeleteA well written script and clever device of the omniscent narator,this movie was very unsual and enjoyable although boys may not find it too interesting(Observation made upon turning around in the cinema to see 5boys sitting together fast asleep during movie)
I agree that the tragic scene with the contrasting expectations vs reality was well shown too. Many would find the ending to be very tragic as the couple was a cute couple and naturally you'd expect and want them together. But then again the main character eventually moves on, he skipped from summer to autumn haha. I'm sure i'm not the only one who had Bethoven's 7th symphony play in my head at that instant.
To Ariel: Thank you for your comment! Glad you enjoyed the movie. The ending was really sad and unexpected because, like you said, they were a cute couple. We don't know whether the new girl "Autumn" (which indicates a new season the male character's life) would break his heart all over again, but I know the general reaction from most people was an "Uh-oh. Here we go again... You can't be serious!" It was funny twist though. The script writers sure had a way of making the ending as light-hearted as possible, giving the audience the satisfaction of a SOMEWHAT happy ending.
ReplyDeleteI like the part where the girl, Autumn, comes in at the end. It is a significant mark of a new chapter of the guy's life. Wonder what would happen if it actually reached winter...
ReplyDeleteTo ...: Thank you for your comment! If it reaches winter, it would just mark another season in life once again. The colder version though. (Ouch!) We can only hope that the guy would be able to have his wounds healed and not give up on his search for love.
ReplyDeleteNonverbal cues and what we say can be very easily misinterpreted at all times of the day. A person's upbringing and beliefs play a major part in shaping our perceptions of other people.
ReplyDeleteLife's great if you live it to be great.
To Yee: Thank you for your comment! That's true. A person's belief and upbringing greatly influence your perception. It's all part of your family and thus your biological hardwiring. I also do concur with your last line: "Life's great if you want it to be great." Surely, life has a lot of setbacks, but its up to you to make the best of every situation - good or bad.
ReplyDeleteI like this movie and I think you analysed it pretty well. The script is so unusual and unpredictable. Which is probably why so many people actually enjoed this tragic romance movie.
ReplyDeleteThings never go on as planned. If they do, they occur once in a blue moon. Everything can change with just a blink of an eye. Just prepare yourself for disappointment I guess?
To Shaun the SHEEP: Thank you for your comment! Good you enjoyed the movie! =P Sensible point you made there. We can prepare ourselves for the worst. It may seem a pessimistic move, but it is after all a realistic thing to do =/ People often think of the worst case scenarios for everything anyway. Guess it's all part of planning to make sure that you can be ready to change something at the last minute.
ReplyDelete