"500 Days of Summer" and "Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father"

Wow. Coincidentally, I have been treated to two absolute tour de forces in two days and both have managed to knock me out with their raw emotional power. These films, "500 Days of Summer" and "Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father," speak to the power of human emotion and the way that life doesn't always work out the way we want it to.

"500 Days of Summer"

"500 Days of Summer" was a fantastic film. It's a wonderfully shot story of a relationship, 500 days of Tom (Joseph Gordon Levitt) and Summer (Zoey Deschanel). Another film that is hard to do justice to, "Summer" would technically be classified as a romantic comedy, but it's really a movie about the little things and the emotional intimacies of a relationship. Tom and Summer don't make it, I'm afraid, and it's something we know from the very beginning, which makes the story have a certain gravitas as it unfolds, with us looking for little details and hints of how it ends along the way.

"Summer" is the story of Tom, a greeting card writer, who meets Summer when she starts as an assistant at his work. They connect over The Smiths on the elevator and have a brief courtship highlighted by an amazing work function at a karaoke bar. The music has been carefully chosen and is a defining element of the film, helping set the tone and convey its meaning. The film is non-linear and jumps back and forth between the different stages of the relationship, from the courtship to the inevitable end.

This is director Mark Webb's first feature film, having come from a background in music videos, and he has an incredible eye for beauty in his cinematography. He has slick transitions between moments, split screens, and creative innovations in story-telling combined with a real understanding of the human heart. "Summer" manages to weave an engaging and gorgeous around this failed relationship. Summer was never going to marry Tom and sometimes life doesn't work out like the way we want it to. This is a hard lesson for Tom and we really feel his pain, but we also feel the joy along the ride and really come to understand why he loves her. Levitt and Deschanel are both incredible in their roles, which serves to elevate the film even further. This one will require multiple viewings to catch all of the intricacies. I can't wait.

Grade: A-

"Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father"

Simply put, this movie destroyed me and left me emotionally raw in a way that only a few movies ever have. It is on the short-list for most devastating picture I've ever experienced and that's saying a lot, trust me. When I reflect, I've only been affected to the point of tears a few times in my life: "I Am Sam", "Requiem for a Dream", "American History X", "United 93", and now "Dear Zachary." Of the bunch, "Zachary" and "United 93" had the biggest visceral impact, perhaps because of the power that the truth of the story provides their narrative. I know that "Requiem for a Dream" didn't happen, as attached as I am to the characters, and there's something to be said for the credibility that a true story or a documentary attaches to the emotional impact.

"Zachary" is the story of Andrew Bagby, who was murdered by his pregnant girlfriend, as told by the director Kurt Kuenne, who is a child-hood friend that made many an amateur film with Andrew growing up. Zachary is Andrew's son and Kurt wants him to know his father. He has some incredible footage and photographs to work with here, but that's not where he shines. Kurt tirelessly travels the country to interview those that knew and loved Andrew. He interviews extended family, classmates, co-workers, and, most extensively, his parents.

Andrew seems like he was an incredible kid, a best friend to many and a great son, who found his niche as a doctor. After a rough break-up with his fiance, he started dating a much older woman who didn't seem quite right to his friends, who ignored it because they wanted to see him happy. He eventually broke up with her and sent her home on a plane, thinking it was over. She drove across the country and murdered him.

The film is a testament to those that loved Andrew with its immeasurable warmth and personal touch, but during filming Andrew's murderer is released and receives custody of their child. It changes the direction of the film dramatically and provides it with additional urgency, not that it really needed it. The movie packs emotional punch after emotional bunch, but it's better not to release anymore of the plot points and you should know as little as possible heading into the film.

Trust me, bring tissues. This film is truly overwhelming. It's almost impossible to compare it to anything else or assign it any kind of relative value. However, I always say that the point of art is to convey the emotion and experience of the human condition. By that measure, few films, if any, will stack up to this one.

Grade: A