Romantic Films Allegedly Ruined My Life

When reports surfaced about Richard Linklater, Ethan Hawke and Julie Deply making a film called Before Midnight, I was probably the happiest person on Earth.

I fell in love with Before Sunrise.  I cried during Before Sunset.  And by cried I meant, sobbing uncontrollably for ten minutes.  My tears started to swell on the part where Celine  broke down.  When she hugged Jesse while saying “I want to see if you stay together or if you dissolve into molecules.” I was already bawling my eyes out.  Two people shamelessly declaring their love for each other is enough for the my tears to flood. These two films hold the dearest in my heart being intensely written and naturally acted. But this would take another journal.

 

For years, romantic films are like my own french fries, they bring me comfort every time.  Serendipity is probably the movie that ruined my high school romantic life.  When I liked a guy, I would ask for signs.  And basing on the signs that I was looking for, I already had three soul mates.  And then I stopped believing in it. As you grow up, you’ll eventually realize which things to hold on to and to let go. The only thing I held on to about this movie is the Nick Drake song.

And who could forget A Walk to Remember?  I never told anyone this story before but I came to a point in life, when I told someone “Promise me, you’ll never fell in love with me.”  That was after a guy I liked made a habit of visiting me between classes in high school. And that guy has a little bit of Landon Carter in him. We eventually dated and broke up after graduation. And while he remained as the person I consider my high school love, he is already married. Maybe life is like that, it brings you people who would make you look back one day and smile because of embarrassment.

My So-Called Life also played a huge role in my so-called life.  My notebooks would  contain quotes from Angela Chase.  Lines like “Life is a prison and the crime is how much we hate ourselves.” If we count the years, Jared Leto would be my longest crush but look at the man, he doesn’t age. I sometimes would look at him with the same teenage eyes and tell myself, some things does not change.

Perhaps the craziest obsession I had with a film is with 500 Days of Summer.  Apart from the lovely template Marc Webb created for the movie, the awesome music, Joseph Gordon Levitt’s charming smile and Zooey Deschanel’s beautiful dresses, the story of a hippie love appeals to a commitment phobic romanticist, like me.  My friend would tell me that the movie has changed into “5,000 Days of Summer” because of the number of times I watched it.  I could recite the lines along with all the scene sequence in perfection (yes, try me). I never really learned a thing about this movie, only that love oftentimes end in a Sid Viscious-Nancy Spungen way and love makes you dance to a Hall and Oates song.

If I was a character in a romantic film, I think I would be Katarina Stratford in 10 Things I Hate About You. Although I have yet to pull off that sarcastic “I want you. I need you. Oh baby. Oh baby.” in front of a self aware, curly haired stunner. I have mastered the smart-ass, socially relevant feminisms that she perfected on the film.  I also want to have my own Patrick Verona who would give me a Fender  Strat every time he screws up.  Among all of these things our most common denominator would be no matter how unbreakable we think our principles are, they always get broken by some charming guy who can sweep us off our feet with a song.

My friends blame these movies for my lack of real life romance.  I’d like to think that the screen romance in my life is enough to compensate the lack of real life romance. Besides,I can have a romantic relationship with Joseph Gordon Levitt without him breaking up with me.  And if he does, it would be easier to take.

Maybe I’m like Summer before she met Tom, who marvels at the fact that she can cut her hair without getting hurt.  Or maybe I’m just like Celine and Jesse waiting for a second chance with the one who got away. I’m just another  hopeless romantic whose delusions about love is not yet diluted  by the acid of realities. My blockbuster love story is yet to be penned and for sure it would be like no other film ever made,  because it’s going to be real.

[500] Days of Summer: The Chic Flick That Guys Secretly Liked

Plot. Its a story of a boy meets girl, girl meets boy, but then its not a love story, its a story about love.  Haha.  Yeah Basically thats the tagline.  Summer Finn, doesnt believe in love, relationship and all that fairytale nonsense, the narrator mentioned its because of the disintegration of her parents marriage.  While Tom Hansen is otherwise, he invisions himself spending the rest of his life with the woman he loves, his soulmate, the narrator(whom is very helpful in giving understanding to the background of the plot) mentioned that it stemmed from his addiction to British pop music and the misinterpretation of “The Graduate.” So when Tom meets Summer he fell in love with her and he decided that shes the woman hes going to spend his life with, shes the one.  Summer on the other hand dont make it clear to Tom the status of what they have, they hold hands, they had shower sex but then according to Summer, theyre just friends, which Tom angrily replied, “friends, my balls.”  The story progresses through back and forth happenings within the 500 days Tom had known Summer. Its quite unique because if youre going to sit there starting on the middle of the film you absolutely wont get the tiny details, those tiny big details that are actually significant to the plot, on how he was madly inlove with her, their arguments about Ringo Starr, Nancy and Sid and how they pretended they own Ikea.  I really like how they made the movie, the color, the plot, there are some small lapses by the writer but then it was quite consistent.  I also like how Tom have her little sister as his voice of reason, telling him to weigh his decisions. It was a feel good movie all right. Its not really that unhappy ending because in the end they learn fro each other. Oh by the way the ending, Summer married a guy she met at a deli while shes waiting for Tom and that broke Toms heart.

Zooey Deschanel as Summer Finn. Her blue eyes blend with the movies color tone.  Shes not really a remarkable actor, shes okay, she could act quite natural. But yeah the role suits her.  I like her dresses in the movie and her 60′s hair cut.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Tom Hansen.  He’s a good actor, yeah.  He cool at being the bizzare romantic ‘deep’ guy.  I think I might fall for his smile.  So I reckon his performance was effective becasue I could feel his emotions, I could relate to his characters thoughts. I love his shirts in the movie especially Joy Divisons, Love Will Tear Us Apart.

The Songs from the Movie. The soundtrack is plain awesome.  Old times like Simon and Gurfunkel, Hall and Oates, The Smiths (thats how hey started their first conversation), Regina Spektor, yeah British music.  They chose the right songs for the scenes, like the scenes would be nothing without the songs on the background, perfectly suited.  And yeah for the next three weeks or so i might be listening to the soundtrack over and over on my headphones.

Best Movie Opening. The movie opens with the authors note: The following is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental. Especially you Jenny Beckman. Bitch.

Overall. Great feel good movie, maybe not the movie that you would watch on widescreen but yeah its a movie that provoke thoughts, discussions, debates and arguments. A movie that make sense, not the average romantic flick because it has the indie feel to it.  So if you love British music, indie films and Ringo Starr, you might not want to miss this movie.  I’ll give it four and a half stars out of five.