Just watched this with a free rental credit from Amazon (AVODGIFT – good until 1/3!) – what a great film. Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel were perfect choices for the main characters. The non-linear storytelling works really well, as our memories aren’t fixed chronologically and remembering a relationship is like the movie, in fits and spurts, with one memory spurring another. It’s a film where beauty is up front, with an excellent soundtrack, beautiful cinematography, even hip and interesting wardrobe choices. I loved listening to Tom talk about buildings. Architecture is such a key element of the movie, and it’s integrated excellently.
There are some romantic comedy cliches (I am not entirely sure why the long-haired friend is even in the film) but the little sister character was pretty awesome, as cliches go. I loved her saying over wii tennis early in the movie “just because some girl likes the same bizarro crap you do, doesn’t make her your soul mate.” Even though, as the narrator says, it is not a love story, it’s true and real, and not without hope. See it!