Thom McKiernan (thommck)

Not as great as the critics make out. Also, not a rom-com at all. It's more a story about unrequited love and fantasy. There is the odd funny line here or there but its not a comedy either

The film is a classic indy movie where it's trying to get across how cool it is with it's great soundtrack of The Smiths, Temper Trap etc. There is loads of stylised sets with all the colours being tone-on-tone. This makes it seem like it is set in the 1950s but then by the end of the film they haven't put in as much effort to the style. Maybe that was intentional but it loses the magic a bit. It has some great split-screen moments but some more obscure black & white bits. The actors all seem to come from a different planet or parallel universe, behaving more like they would in a play than a film. The whole thing reminded me of a graphic novel or a Dr Seuss storybook. I guess the director, Marc Webb, was a good choice for the new Spiderman films.

The film is set over the 500 days "Tom" spends with the girl "Summer". It jumps about throughout this time period in a non-linear format i.e. you see day 412 then day 18 then day 167. I didn't really think that was necessary and would have been better telling the story in more of a straight line with the odd flashback/forward.

Overall I enjoyed it but it wasn't at all what I expected.

This film is fantastic! Good plot, good acting, gorgeous landscapes, brilliant visuals and it's loads of fun :)
I saw it at the IMAX in Birmingham and it looked amazing on the humongous screen. They pack a lot into 2hrs 40mins but it never drags. I took my wife and 8 & 10 yr old boys with me and they all loved it too. Some people have complained that the story has been done before, or the 3D is just a gimmick to cover up plot holes but I don't think they were watching the same film as me. The special effects are on a scale never before seen on screen so catch it at the cinema while you still can. Awe-inspiring family entertainment.

You need to see this movie

Possibly my favourite movie of the decade! This film mixes a load of genres into one completely enthralling roller-coaster of a movie. I was captivated by the journey that the unlikeable lead-male, Wikus, goes on. I went from hating him, to loving him and backwards and forwards wondering if he could redeem himself. The amazing special effects are so realistic you forget that it's not really aliens mingling amongst human life. This is very gritty stuff but has some great humour and explosive action. Every time I went to nip out to the toilet something else would happen on-screen to keep me gripped to my seat! My wife was in tears next to me at some of the scenes in the slum and touching moments between the lead alien and his son. The story finishes perfectly but I demand a sequel!