The Debaser [Online]

This movie rocked like bananas. Sure to be the indie hit of the spring (oohhh I sense the seasonal puns already), this wry comedy takes a look at the contemporary relationship. The story goes something like this: Tom Hansen (played by all-round nice guy, Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is a wannabe architect who works a dead-end job at a greeting card company to the beat of his favourite bands, including the Smiths. One day, Summer Finn (played by indie darling, Zooey Deschanel) walks into the office, the new assistant and bada bing bada boom, Tom is in lurve. But more like L-O-V-E love, and bad. She isn’t. In fact, she explicitly proclaims her disdain for the whole relationship/marriage gig. Tom, of course, is convinced he can change her and follows her through 500 days of all those yummy things that relationships give: cuddles, sex, romance and….heartbreak. Sounds like role-reversal? It is, to some extent…but I will leave that debate for another time, like the end of this review. Much of the movie focuses on the two main characters and the audience travels with them through their thing-that-isn’t-a-relationship-but-looks-like-it’s-a-relationship-from-the-outside-because-they-hold-hands-and-kiss-and-stuff-and-sigh. Because of this, it could have turned into sentimental clap-trap but the crazy story-telling that jumps from place to place, from day 500 to day 43, and the arty insets save it compellingly. A shout-out must also go to the excellent roles played by Tom’s friends McKenzie (Geoffrey Arend) and Paul (Matthew Gray Gubler) who provide moments of hilarity and bro-support. Tom’s adolescent sister Rachel (Chloe Moretz) is probably the wisest of the bunch and gives Tom insight into his situation through smart-ass and smart pieces of advice way beyond her years. In all, the thing that makes this movie so awesome is not the excellent acting or the sweet soundtrack, although those things contribute. No, this movie rocks because everyone can relate to its universal themes of love and loss. I was a little unconventional and thought I’d try something new for this review. I took a representative sample of the entire population of people who saw it (ok, read: 2 guys and 2 girls) to determine exactly how people related to the movie’s themes. My results are as follows: Guys x 2: “That Summer chick was a b****. She screwed him over hard core.” Girls x 2: “Na-uh. She came with a disclaimer baby, read it and weep.” What we can conclude from these samples, dear readers, is that not only is this movie successfully three-dimensional and sufficiently debate-worthy, it is also something which gets at the core of what people think about relationships. I was interested that so many of the blokes I spoke to about the movie were lovably upset by Summer’s attitude to marriage/commitment and all the gals blase! I blame Sex & the City for this reversal in societal attitudes and ask the question: are girls the new commitment-phobes? Were they ever not? Am I making up questions to fill space? The answer to all these questions is in the stars. Anyway, before I go all Ask Sam on your ass, the movie will make you laugh, cry and dance. Go see it.