Joseph Gordon-Levitt: 5 Awesome Roles And 5 That Sucked
1. Tom - (500) Days Of Summer
For something that was heavily promoted as a breezy date movie there sure are a lot of depressing scenes in (500) Days Of Summer. It talks about relationships from an honest point of view, examining the extreme highs and lows of falling in love. Levitt plays both sides of the rom-com coin, with his character learning the hard way that his concept of love isn't the same as the reality of it. The films completely subverts the standard romantic comedy formula, where the dream girl is actually just a normal woman with her own struggles, and the guy is a dreamer who lacks emotional maturity; Tom thinks Summer will complete his life and make his dreams come true, so when that doesnt happen he falls into a deep depression and blames her for it. The film flipping from the fantasy to the reality is why it connected with people, and Levitt isnt afraid to show Toms unlikable side. It's an honest, committed performance and the one that cemented his leading man status. It turns out he's a pretty decent singer too.
