*500 Days of Summer

When was the last time you saw a young couple fall in love on the big screen? And no, of course High School Musical 3 doesn't count. If you're looking for that kind of love-stuff, please look the other way, because this one is not a typical chic-flick.

500 Days of Summer is an intriguingly original take on falling in love. Every emotion involved with a relationship seems to be relayed; from the strange and quirky aspects of new love to the tragedy of heartbreak.

The boy,

Tom Hansen of Margate, New Jersey, grew up believing that he'd never truly be happy until the day he met the one. This belief stemmed from early exposure to sad British pop music and a total mis-reading of the movie 'The Graduate'.

The girl,

Summer Finn of Shinnecock, Michigan, did not share this belief. Since the disintegration of her parent's marriage she'd only love two things. The first was her long dark hair. The second was how easily she could cut it off and not feel a thing.

Tom meets Summer on January 8th. He knows almost immediately she is who he has been searching for. This is a story of boy meets girl, but you should know upfront, this is not a love story. This is a story about love.

500 Days of Summer portrays a relationship that is more realistic and less clichéd than most others in it's woefully unoriginal and formulaic genre. In doing so, the film never feels anything less than completely innovative and incredibly fun. The film's story is told in a refreshingly non-linear fashion that strives for and often reaches perfection with each and every scene.