(500) Days of Summer

The best romantic comedy in recent years, “500 Days” is a unique, clever, and lovable tale of boy meets girl. Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars as Tom, a hopeless romantic who falls in love with the beautiful and engaging Summer (Zooey Deschanel). However, she may not feel the same way. Their 500-day relationship is told out of order and jumbled up, showing the twists and turns that occur in their relationship. Deschanel is irresistible as Summer, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt shows that he is an actor that can hold his own with the best. Smartly written, funny, charming, and well crafted, “(500) Days of Summer” is easily my favorite movie of the summer. In wide release now. SEE IT TWICE

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra

“G.I Joe,” starring Channing Tatum, Dennis Quaid, and Sienna Miller, is an utterly ridiculous popcorn movie that underestimates its audience’s intelligence. It seems that the main purpose of the movie is to blow things up in as many ways as possible. That’s fine, but I would have liked some explanation for WHY things were blowing up. New plot lines were added whenever needed to further the action, and much of the acting was laughable. Although some of the action sequences were well shot, others seemed cheap, as if they spent all their money blowing up the Eiffel Tower. (It’s not a spoiler when it’s in the previews). Overall, the movie was so absurd that I left “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra” feeling dumber than when I walked in. SKIP

Paper Heart

Half documentary, half fake documentary, “Paper Heart” tells the story of comedian and musician Charleyne Yi’s quest to find the meaning of true love. Yi starts the movie by telling us that she doesn’t believe in love, and sets out to find what people think love means. Along the way, she meets fellow actor Michael Cera, and the documentary begins to focus on their budding relationship. The movie is a blend between a scripted movie and a documentary, but it’s better to just go with it and not care about what’s real and what was planned. More cute and quirky than emotionally meaningful, “Paper Heart” is an enjoyable film and great date movie. In wide release this Friday. SEE

Adam

This indie romance follows Adam (Hugh Dancy), a lonely man with Asperger’s Syndrome who finds a friend in his next-door neighbor Beth (Rose Byrne). The two start an improbable relationship that tests their comfort and patience. This movie is an emotional ride and poignant love story with strong performances from the leads. Dancy’s performance is flawless: I really believed that he had Asperger’s. “Adam” premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, and is now in very limited release. RENT

Funny People

The latest movie from the Apatow crew, “Funny People” is much darker than their previous hits “40-Year-Old Virgin,” and “Knocked Up,” yet still funnier than most of the comedies out there. Starring Adam Sandler as seasoned comedian George Simmons and Seth Rogen as his personal assistant, the film follows George as he reconsiders his life after finding out that he may be dying. While “Funny People” succeeds in creating emotional and deep characters, it doesn’t quite make the audience care about them enough. At around 2 and a half hours, the movie is too long for this type dramatic comedy. The climax of the film left me unsatisfied, and Sandler’s character wasn’t likable enough for me to spend so much time watching him. The supporting cast, especially Seth Rogen, had strong performances and much of the movie was touching and funny. In wide release now. SEE