(500) Days of Summer (2009)

Genre

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Director

Marc Webb

Country

USA

Cast

Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Zooey Deschanel, Geoffrey Arend, Chloë Grace Moretz, Matthew Gray Gubler, Clark Gregg, Patricia Belcher, Rachel Boston, Minka Kelly, Maile Flanagan, Yvette Nicole Brown, Olivia Bagg, Richard McGonagle

Storyline

Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is an aspiring architect who currently earns his living as a greeting card writer. Summer (Zooey Deschanel) is his boss's beautiful new secretary. As they start knowing each other, Tom discovers that they have plenty in common and he falls for her. There is only one problem: she doesn't believe in true love.

Opinion

If you already have read some of my reviews, you'll probably know I usually dislike romantic comedies for recycling the same idea over and over again, and despite a different storyline and a different title, at the end they are the same thing. And even though some films are made on some nice ideas - take "Knocked Up" or "He's Just Not That Into You" - the result is never as good as hoped. 

I didn't expect much from the film - mostly because of the title - and I thought it was going to be just another clichéd romantic comedy, but god if I was wrong. (500) Days of Summer is charming, sweet, smooth, original, and unpredictable, it is a different take on falling in love, it manages to engage you with a love story you already know can't end in a good way, and, for once, the relationship it's shown from the man's point of view. Hope you don't get mad if I define it a modern version of Woody Allen's "Annie Hall".

The narrator warns us upfront, saying this is not a love story. But I guess it's because we are so preconditioned by Hollywood that throughout the whole film I thought, "That's not true. This is a love story". Only at the end I realized the narrator was pretty accurate.

Director Marc Webb put the story into a blender and the result is a great non-linear story, that manages to make you feel happy, and warmed up for a moment, and sad and feel empathy for the guy in just a few minutes. We also get a funny musical number in the park, and some great music.

Now the acting: this film got two great performances. On one hand we have Joseph Gordon-Levitt, marvellous as Tom, and capable to project humanity in an unbelievable way. On the other hand we have Zooey Deschanel. She delivers one of her best performances to date. She'll make you love her, and then she'll break your heart, but you'll just want to love her more. The chemistry between Gordon-Levitt and Deschanel is wonderful.

Quotes

Tom: I love how she makes me feel, like anything's possible, or like life is worth it.

Narrator: Most days of the year are unremarkable. They begin and they end with no lasting memory made in between. Most days have no impact on the course of a life.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014)

Genre

Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi

Director

Marc Webb

Country

USA

Cast

Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Jamie Foxx, Dane DeHaan, Colm Feore, Felicity Jones, Paul Giamatti, Sally Field, Campbell Scott, Embeth Davidtz, Marton Csokas, Chris Cooper, B.K. Novak, Denis Leary, Michael Massee, Aidy Bryant, Stan Lee

Storyline

As Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) finally managed to balance life as both Spider-Man and Peter, a new villain treats the city: socially awkward Oscorp worker Max Dillon (Jamie Foxx), who is obsessed with Spider-Man, ends up becoming the hero's new foe.

Opinion

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

If J.K. Simmons was still playing J. Jonah Jameson he'd say, "Damnit! This thing is dragging on and on!".

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is just not that amazing, and focuses more on the emotional element, developing the relationship with Gwen - it almost feels like watching Twilight -, and leaving thrills and action behind.

However, the main problem of the film is the same that occurred with Spider-Man 3: the writing. There are way too many awful things going on, and two and a half hours - which feels like eternity - are just not enough to stand the whole thing.
Let's start with Electro. He is not the same guy from the comic books. This Max Dillon is naive, shy, has low self-esteem, is ignored by everybody, and people barely remember his name, in other words, he is a loser. And he works for Oscorp. Turning into Electro after falling into a tub of electric eels, he heads to Time Square, where he sees his face all over the screens, and he suddenly become a badass because the whole city is watching him. He doesn't really have any motivation to do what he does. Not to mention his costume, that looks like it has been stolen from the Fantastic Four's trash.
Harry Osborn and Rhino are two wasted, cheesy characters. Also, the 3-minute grainy video in which Peter's dad basically tells us "Oscorp is evil" is pointless, because at that point you are already aware of that, and if you don't, well, you probably think Spider-Man is the villain.

While flying sequences are great, the fights are not epic, totally forgettable, and some of them even boring - the one with the Russian for instance -, and the fight between Spider-Man and Electro is just bad. It's not all of course. Why did Electro and Harry Osborn/Goblin attack Spider-Man separately? Why didn't the police show up near the power plant? Why didn't Gwen bleed when she hit the floor? Why did Harry kill Gwen? Wasn't Norman supposed to? And more important, is Harry normal or still "infected"?

At least the acting is still good. Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone are good as Peter Parker/Spider-Man and Gwen Stacy, and their chemistry is amazing. Though his character development is bad, Dane DeHaan delivers a good performance as Harry Osborn, and same does Jamie Foxx as Electro.

Quotes

Gwen Stacy: It's easy to feel hopeful on a beautiful day like today, but there will be dark days ahead of us too. There will be days where you feel all alone, and that's when hope is needed most. No matter how buried it gets, or how lost you feel, you must promise me that you will hold on to hope. Keep it alive. We have to be greater than what we suffer. My wish for you is to become hope; people need that. And even if we fail, what better way is there to live? As we look around here today, at all of the people who helped make us who we are, I know it feels like we're saying goodbye, but we will carry a piece of each other into everything that we do next, to remind us of who we are, and of who we're meant to be.

The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)

Genre

Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi

Director

Marc Webb

Country

USA

Cast

Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Denis Leary, Martin Sheen, Sally Field, Irrfan Khan, Chris Zylka, Campbell Scott, Embeth Davidtz, Leif Gantvoort, Hannah Marks, Kelsey Chow, C. Thomas Howell, Stan Lee, Michael Massee, Michael Papajohn, Max Charles, Jake Keiffer

Storyline

Like most teenagers, Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) is trying to figure out who he is and how he got to be the person he is today. As Peter discovers a mysterious briefcase that belonged to his father, he begins a quest to understand his parents' disappearance, leading him directly to Oscorp and the lab of Dr. Curt Connors (Rhys Ifans), his father's former partner. As Spider-Man is set on a collision course with Connors' alter-ego, The Lizard, Peter will make life-altering choices to use his powers and shape his destiny to become a hero.

Opinion

The Sam Raimi's trilogy, though the awful ending chapter, will always stand out among the superhero films, and definitely did not need to be rebooted. Still Marc Webb succeeded in making a quite amazing interpretation of Spider-Man's origins - and a more loyal film towards the comic books.

The Amazing Spider-Man is surprisingly engaging, plenty of action, thrill, and genuine emotions, with a more effective drama than ever.

Marc Webb faithfully manages to bring to the screen Peter Parker's humanity, creating a more credible superhero, that must defeat a villain, and on the other hand take care of his worried aunt.
In this new film, Parker isn't accidentally bitten by the spider but he is kinda looking forward to, and there's a new way his powers work. He now needs a device to shoot a web perfectly, and still causing lot of damage, he looks more credible. Some parts - like when Peter is working on his costume - are way too rushed though. The villain is good, but Connors becoming evil because he became Lizard is a little forced.

Andrew Garfield is indeed the best choice to play Peter Parker, giving him that humour - and better look - Maguire's didn't have. Emma Stone is amazing as Gwen Stacy, way better than Dunst, and her character as well is better than MJ, being more than just a love interest. The chemistry between Garfield and Stone is amazing.

Quotes

Ben Parker: Peter? I know things have been difficult lately and I'm sorry about that. I think I know what you're feeling. Ever since you were a little boy, you've been living with so many unresolved things. Well, take it from an old man. Those things send us down a road... they make us who we are. And if anyone's destined for greatness, it's you, son. You owe the world your gifts. You just have to figure out how to use them and know that wherever they take you, we'll always be here. So, come on home, Peter. You're my hero... and I love you!