(500) Days Of Summer (12)

Jan 15 2010 Liverpool Daily Post

TOM (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) has always nurtured a passion for architecture and he is transfixed by New York’s concrete jungle. During the day, Tom writes platitudes in greetings cards, impressing his boss and co-workers with his ability to find the perfect phrase for every occasion. The office changes forever with the arrival of Vance’s new assistant, Summer (Zooey Deschanel). Tom is smitten and, within days, the copywriter tells his colleagues, “It’s official. I’m in love with Summer.” But the courtship doesn’t quite match up to Tom’s old-fashioned ideals. As the 500 days unfold in seemingly random order, Tom comes to realise that, while Summer might be perfect for him, he’s not her Mr Right Now or Mr Right Ever. (500) Days Of Summer is a quirky relationship comedy distinguished by strong performances from the two leads, especially Gordon-Levitt as a dreamer who emerges battered and bruised from the emotional wringer. From the opening frames, we’re acutely aware this is no fairytale, but the heartbreak here tastes pleasantly bittersweet.

llll lll

It Might Get Loud (PG)

THE music industry is awash with colourful characters who have charted haphazard courses to the top of the charts via addiction, self-doubt and redemption. Documentary filmmaker Davis Guggenheim (An Inconvenient Truth) pays tribute to three Titans of rock with this revealing insight into the passions, desires and unfulfilled ambitions of The Edge from U2, Jimmy Page from Led Zeppelin and Jack White from The White Stripes. Talking individually to the three virtuoso electric guitar players and then bringing them together to share their anecdotes and to jam with each other, Guggenheim draws parallels between the men and highlights the vast differences in their upbringings and musical influences.

lll l

A Perfect Getaway (15)

STRUGGLING Hollywood screenwriter Cliff (Steve Zahn) and his pretty wife Cydney (Milla Jovovich) arrive on Hawaii for their honeymoon and encounter the menacing Kale and his girlfriend Cleo. Later, Cliff and Cydney meet picture-perfect lovebirds Nick and Gina, who seem too good to be true. The idyll is rocked by news of brutal murders on a nearby island and a police hunt for a man and a woman, believed to have perpetrated the crimes. Cliff and Cydney fear the killers are one of the couples they have met. As the newlyweds venture deeper into the jungle, unable to get a signal on their mobile phones, paranoia and fear gradually take hold. A Perfect Getaway doesn’t quite live up to its title, but this is a polished genre piece that keeps us guessing until the final act when the tension explodes with an action-packed finale. Once writer-director David Twohy’s ingenious grand design is revealed, we’re forced to admit we’ve been hoodwinked.

llllll