(500) Days of Summer is a complicated, winning story about love and the different ways in which it plays out in the lives of Tom Hansen (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and Summer Finn (Zooey Deschanel). At it's simplest, that's what it is. They meet through their work and embark on a relationship of sorts, though Summer is wary of commitment and Tom is eager for it. At it's most enthralling, it's a whole lot more, but the joy is in the discovery so let's dive into the seven reasons you will love it.

1. Zooey Deschanel is Very Very

Not only is she easy on the eyes, she also sings a little bit and rides around on her bicycle and is basically everyone's dream girl, just classically unattainable. Apart from a few distinguishing quirks Summer might seem rather characterless, but this might be a statement more about Tom's ability to love Summer unconditionally, relentlessly, despite her unwillingness to be pinned down in a serious relationship. Since the story is told through Tom's eyes and in flashback, it is perhaps a side effect of this fact that he wouldn't need to remember every minute detail. Not every conversation or expression needs to be relayed, and as it is, words usually fail to describe what a person is truly like. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is strong and capable, and much could be said of his talents, which are just blossoming lately -- but Zooey, Zooey. With her long brown hair and luminous blue eyes and tidy clothing, Zooey is given to an easy grace, often smiling, absolutely sure of herself and her charm. But even that cannot properly capture her allure.

2. Artsy but Not Unapproachable

Marc Webb has made his name in directing music videos, and this background shines through in the more inventive moments of the film. One such moment is an art-film montage where Tom is watching a movie and begins to envision himself the character in an Ingmar Bergman film, playing chess with Cupid instead of Death. A dance sequence wends its way into the mix, and in another sequence reality is pitted against expectations in a brilliant usage of split-screen imagery. There are numerous other small visual delights, but they must be seen to be appreciated fully.

3. They Love L.A. (they love it!)

At first, the city the film takes place in seems indistinguishable, perhaps set in New York, but as the plot slowly unfurls we find ourselves in Los Angeles seeing truly lovely views of the city rarely shown in major films. We're far from the beaches of Malibu here, and instead find ourselves staring up at elegant old buildings replete with rooftop parties or walking along city streets toward old movie theaters. Since Tom is trained as an architect, proper due is paid to the buildings that comprise Los Angeles, and director Marc Webb has done a fine job of showing this lesser known side of a beautiful city. Much of the prominent action takes place in a lush park in the middle of downtown, a place not even well known to native Angelenos. While it's clear this is a film made and shot by people who have explored L.A., since Tom and Summer are two conscientious almost-hipsters it might have been nice to see a trip to truly unique locations such as Amoeba Records or the New Beverly Cinema. As it is, it's nice to see the city the way it really is for many people, appreciated and beautiful.

4. Matthew Gray Gubler

Fans of the model turned actor are rabid in their appreciation, and it's easy to see why. Gubler seems to have filled out a bit from his lankier self, and what a vast improvement. He plays the more serious of Tom's two goofy friends, the one who's been with his girlfriend forever, and he also has one of the best lines in the film. During a black-and-white character interview montage reminiscent of the television show Once and Again, he remarks after some reflection that though there is much he could wish for, the woman he is with is better than the girl of his dreams, because she is real. The quiet look on his face as this realization sinks in is one of the most real points of contact in the entire film. Though his part is definitely secondary and he does not appear in much of the movie, the parts that he is in are filled with good will and hilarity. The love for this young actor has been tremendously well documented around these parts, but there can always be more, and we look forward to his next role.

5. Hipster-ish but Not Unbearable

Yes, they listen to good music and love art films, but Summer and Tom aren't unbearably pretentious. In fact, they seem fairly normal for thoughtful twenty-somethings living in Los Angeles. Vintage sundresses and a stylish apartment suit Zooey Deschanel's timeless features as a girl who could feel at home in any era, and Tom's more modern apartment and wardrobe are in line with his architectural design interests. And while the two enjoy evenings spent perusing record shops, even reading books now and then, there's plenty of afternoons in the park and trips to a favorite karaoke bar.

6. Finally, Honesty

The film is upfront about the fact that it is a story about love, not a love story, and this small distinction is a relief from the swamp of romantic comedies that litter the moviegoing landscape. (Not every story can be as woefully full of backtracking as He's Just Not That Into You, or as mind numbing as Bride Wars, and sometimes the dramas and romances of real life are far more subtle than that.) The use of non-linear editing allows us to jump back and forth in time, helpfully guided by a number prefacing each change, letting us know which day it is. In fact, (500) Days of Summer seems adamant in its need for full disclosure and positions the breakup in the beginning of the film (but this won't ruin the film). You know how it ends, and now you want to know how and why. And maybe it is enough that they love one another, without having to endlessly dissect for the audience every nuance of what that means, practically. It felt remarkably as if the audience was being trusted to relate in part, or in whole, and that trust can be extended back to the filmmakers as we settle into the knowledge we're in good hands.

7. Incredible Soundtrack

In a film that focuses so completely on aesthetics, music is treated with importance -- it was one of the first unifying mechanisms between the leads as they discover they both like the band The Smiths, and indeed music sets the tone for every scene. Many films recognize that the music, films, and books you love are deeply important as connections are made and these little things in a relationship become shared. The soundtrack is populated with hits from Belle and Sebastian, The Smiths, and Regina Spektor and, much like the loathed Juno soundtrack, will likely draw eye rolls from the pretentious among us as they wheeze about how they knew about all that music years ago. The ability to truly enjoy something has become divorced from the implications, cool and un-cool, hip and tragically un-hip; these little parameters have too long defined what we are allowed to love and for once, just let it all go. Enjoy (500) Days of Summer for what it is: a sincere gift, a window into the diminutive and gargantuan moments in the lives of two people looking for something real and finding it, one way or another.

(500) Days of Summer goes into wide release July 27, 2009. Be there!

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