When it comes to love, there's something to be said for coyness and restraint. That first shy flirtation, the growing expectancy, the hidden impatience, the thrilling building hints of mutual desire - what would great love be, without these exhilarating beginning stages? And yet - what if you were completely inept in, even physically incapable of, exhibiting romantic nuance? What if entendres sailed blindly over your head? If you couldn't read facial expressions, or pick up on the subtext of tone of voice?

"Adam" is a love story about two attractive, New York twentysomethings - hardly an original premise in romantic comedy land. But just as Beth (Rose Byrne) meets Adam (Hugh Dancy) and goes from simply seeing a cute romantic prospect to realizing that something may be…off, so we quickly deduce that "Adam" is not going to be your typical romantic comedy.  

It's not until a third of the way through the movie, when Adam asks Beth point blank in his living room whether a walk they shared "sexually excited" her, does the truth come out: Adam has Asperger's Syndrome. Essentially a high-functioning autistic, Adam has difficulty expressing emotion, making eye contact or intuiting what people are thinking. Naturally, this does not make him prime relationship material. And yet, enter a relationship they do, and their pairing makes for one of the most moving, genuine, romantic films I've seen all year.

Seeing the world through Adam's eyes is in some ways seeing it for the first time, which is part of the reason Beth falls in love with him. He's passionate about space and the universe, setting up a planetarium in his living room to explain the cosmos to Beth and rattling off space theory to overwhelmed guests at a cocktail party. There is real pathos and grace in the way Beth, a product of high education and upper class, navigates Adam's condition, resting her hand on his arm to let him know when he's talking too much or offering to role-play to prepare him for a job interview. She's not starry-eyed in her love for him, nor does the film glamorize their relationship. When Adam loses his temper in one scene, he becomes like a hysterical child, unable to control himself, and we see the fear and awareness dawn on Beth's face that she is dating someone who is not wholly adult.

There are many moments like this in the film - honest grace notes that deal frankly and beautifully with what this kind of relationship entails, for both parties. The soundtrack adds to the lushness, featuring hushed, lonely tracks from artists like Joshua Radin, The Weepies and Miranda Lee Richards. And the ending is pitch-perfect - intriguing, unresolved and full of hope. Adam would not beat around the bush, and nor will I: I absolutely loved this film. If you like your romance authentic, unique and full of moments both heartbreaking and heartwarming, "Adam" is one of the best you'll see this year.

"Adam" is playing now through Thursday at the State. For tickets and showtime information, click here.

Still from "500 Days of Summer"

For years, we've watched the same movie over and over, repackaged under different titles and interchangeable shiny plastic stars. Call it "How to Lose a Guy at My Big Fat Alabama Runaway Wedding," starring American sweetheart Julia Kate Witherspoon and the dashing Matthew Hugh Gere. For years, we've watched these silicone queens and kings of Hollywood meet cute, fall in love, fight, stare forlornly from a rainy street at a happy couple kissing in the cafe window, realize they've made a terrible mistake, and finally - thrillingly - reunite. This film, watched on repeat ad nauseam (emphasis on the nauseam), has cinematically shaped and refined an entire generation's notion of romance - and in the process, royally effed us up.

"It's these cards," moans Tom, the heartbroken hero of the new "500 Days of Summer," of his company's schmaltzy greeting cards. "It's these cards, and the pop songs, and the movies. They are responsible for the lie." The lie in question is the one perpetuated by the formulaic rom-com described above - the one that says that love and romance, in its messy real-life incarnation, in any way resembles the sickly-sweet plotline of PG-13 movies.

Thank God "500 Days of Summer" is not your typical PG-13 movie.

Still from"500 Days of Summer"

Why it's taken so long for a film like this to break through to the mainstream is beyond me. I have seen a traumatic number of Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey films, and I can say with conviction that there will never be a romantic plotline they star in that will in any way capture my experiences (or the experiences of anyone else living on Earth) in matters of love. Treasure hunters? Magazine exposes? Catfights over bridal veils? What planet are these people from?

"Annie Hall" is the first film I remember seeing that gave me hope for romantic veracity in cinema. "The Graduate" was close behind. More recently, self-aware twentysomethings longing for a spark of recognition in their romantic fare have had "Garden State," "Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist," and now, "500 Days of Summer." This last one is not, as some reviewers have suggested, "Annie Hall" for a modern generation - that title still belongs to "Annie Hall." But it does, as "Garden State" and "Nick & Norah" did, get closer than any of its genre peers to capturing the coffee-shop heartbreak, the pseudo-intellectual banter and dizzying excitement of young romance that's a seemingly inescapable rite of passage for the pre-marital set.

As the movie's opening narration attests, "500 Days of Summer" is not a love story. Or if it is, it is a story of (mostly) unrequited love. But therein lies the bite - that's everyone's love story. There won't be a male watching this movie who won't be reminded of some blithe ingénue of his youth, idealized in retrospection, who tormented him with the possibility of fulfillment before slipping inexorably away. There won't be a female watching who won't be reminded of some perfectly loveable guy, one who worshipped her every move, whom she casually brushed aside because the whole thing was too easy and boring and nice, and because she knew deep down that love that blind could not - should not - last.

Still from "500 Days of Summer"

Joseph-Gordon Levitt and Zooey Deschanel are a perfect match for this kind of hyper-acute indie angst: he the Hollywood outsider starring in underground breakouts like "The Lookout" and "Brick," she the just-aloof-enough gamine who's mesmerized hipsters everywhere with her inscrutable smile and melancholy musical duets. The two dazzle on screen, skating through the script's witty exchanges and shuffled timeline with comfortable charisma. The narrator informs us that Levitt's Tom "grew up believing that he'd never truly be happy until the day he met the one." (A belief, he adds, which "stemmed from early exposure to sad British pop music and a total misreading of the movie 'The Graduate.'") Deschanel's Summer has no such enchantment with romance, responding incredulously to Tom's question about falling in love: "You believe in that?" (Defensive, Tom replies: "It's love. It's not Santa Clause.")

It's clear from the beginning these two will not live happily ever after. But, as with all memorable romances, it's the journey - not the destination - that makes their story compelling. It's hard not to adore a film whose characters meet over a shared love of the Smiths, who visit IKEA pretending to be a married couple living in the store's furnished rooms, who discuss architecture and Sid Vicious and romantic disillusionment with equal agility.

Screenwriters of Hollywood, take note: This is where the heart of intelligent twentysomething romance lies. Though studios may take a majority of this generation hostage with ridiculous confectionery banality, they can't get all of us. In spite of early attempts to wring every drop of creativity and individualism and amorous authenticity out of America's moviegoers, there are still stubborn insurgents who refuse to go down without a fight. And for those holding out for something better - for something honest - there are films like "500 Days of Summer."

See it with someone you love… if you dare.

"500 Days of Summer" is playing now through August 20. For ticket information and showtimes, click here.

Friday morning, I had to make one of the most difficult decisions of my life: Skip the noon (read: last) showing of "The Cove," or go to the movie looking completely homeless. A heady combination of sleep deprivation and an unplugged alarm led me to wake up, heart pounding and wild-eyed, at 11:45 a.m. For context, it's important to note that the level of my vanity cannot be overstated - and that my hair looks like Courtney Love's on a bad day when I first wake up in the morning. But I also studied marine biology for many years, at one point wanting to make it my career, and had "The Cove" picked as one of my top movies to watch at the festival. Reminding myself that 90% of my time at the theater would be spent in darkness, I took a cue from young Hollywood and threw on a pair of sunglasses (instant glamour!) and snuck in the back.

As it turns out, watching people risk their lives to put a stop to a horrifying annual slaughter of dolphins has a way of dissipating concerns about your bangs. Part environmental warning, part heist flick, "The Cove" tells the gripping story of Richard O'Barry, who become an international sensation as the dolphin trainer on the set of hit TV show "Flipper" in the 1960s. Richard almost single-handedly created the dolphin park industry, exploding demand for dolphin shows and swim-with-dolphin programs due to the popularity of the show. But when one of the dolphins on the set committed suicide in Richard's arms (by holding its breath - dolphins are not auto-breathers, which means they choose whether or not to take their next breath), he realized how desperately miserable the creatures were in captivity. He has since spent the last 30+ years working to free captive dolphins and stop the dolphin trade industry.

Still from "The Cove"

The full house at the screening was instantly absorbed in the film, watching as Richard assembled a crack team ("our version of Ocean's 11") to infilitrate a hidden cove in Taijii, Japan, where it is rumored over 23,000 dolphins are killed every year. Outrunning local police, sneaking in at night and enlisting champion free divers to plant audio and recording equipment in the cove, Richard and his team captured for the first time ever horrifying footage of the annual dolphin slaughter. When Richard marched into the International Whaling Commission meeting (from which he has been permanently banned) with a TV strapped to his chest playing the footage, the audience at Lars Hockstad burst into wild applause. The slaughter still continues every year - the film urges people to get involved by texting "dolphin" to 44144 or visiting the film's website.

Still reeling from "The Cove," I headed home for a quick shower (no more Courtney Love bedhead) and made my way down to the State for an afternoon screening of "In the Loop." This one hadn't initially been on my radar, but an overwhelming amount of recommendations caused me to add it to my schedule. I'm so glad I did, because "In the Loop" is biting, brilliant political satire at its best. The banter is so rapid-fire, you're almost afraid to laugh in case you miss the next line. Pitting UK and US politicians against each other in a cat-and-mouse game of "will we or won't we invade?" (the country to be invaded is never named, but it's impossible not to think of Iraq), "In the Loop" may be one of the best-written, funniest movies you'll see all year. Keep an eye out for it - national buzz is already building.

Still from "In the Loop"

My last flick for Thursday was "Mary & Max" at the City Opera House, and it made the day a three-for-three hit for me. Although studios like Pixar and filmmakers like Hayao Miyazaki have gone a long way in changing audience perceptions about animation, the genre still tends to be underappreciated for the vast potential it offers as a visual medium. Only in recent years has the movement gained momentum, especially in the independent film world - groundbreakers like "Waltz with Bashir" and "Persepolis" have helped on that front. "Mary & Max," a claymation film that opened the Sundance Film Festival this year, will hopefully kick the door open even wider.

Still from "Mary & Max"

Oscar-winning writer/director Adam Elliot created this poignant, funny film (based on a true story) about a socially awkward Australian schoolgirl who accidentally becomes pen pals with an isolated, overweight middle-aged man in New York. The two exchange letters, chocolates and secrets over the years, building a heartfelt global connection that sees them through colleges, marriages and Overeaters Anonymous meetings. Animation aside, this is definitely a film for adult audiences. It's one well worth seeking out - an eccentric, inventive film that's unlike anything else you'll see at the festival.

Coming up in the Day 5 recap: Reviews from "The Examined Life" and "Sneak Preview with Jeff Garlin," plus outtakes from the 5K Costume Run and Filmmakers Party.

 

A festival first for me this year: Seeing the same movie twice. I normally have a hard rule about not doing exactly that, because there's so much to see and you miss a ton of great films as it is. But what can I say? "The Answer Man" has a strange and powerful hold on me. The second time around, I took my mother, so I felt justified in a) creating a new festival-goer and b) sneaking in some family bonding time during the fest. My justification muscle is getting good exercise this week.

After getting in my daily dose of Jeff Daniels, I headed downtown to the State for a screening of "Waterlife." This was one of the films I was anticipating most at the festival, and it didn't disappoint. Kevin McMahon captured some of the most spectacular images of the Great Lakes you'll ever see on film. He instills a newfound awe and respect for the backyard waters we all enjoy - and then punches you in the gut with the undeniable tragedy of their rapid deterioration. In his opening comments, Kevin called "Waterlife" an aquatic road trip and "a biography of all of us who live here on the lakes." He also gave major props to the festival, saying: "I keep telling people, I've been to the other film festivals, and I can honestly say TCFF is the best in the world. Not only is this an incredibly beautiful city, but the people here are so nice. And I am overwhelmed by this exquisite theater." Comments like Kevin's are ones we've heard often over the years from the filmmakers, but it's always a great reminder of what a gift we have in attending movies in the State Theatre, during this festival, in this city. La vita et bella.

Kevin McMahon

I finished out the day with "Big Fan" at Lars Hockstad. Patton Oswalt was charming and funny as always, asking the crowd before the screening if it was "possible to get anything else with cherries in it." He riffed: "I got some chocolate-covered cherries, the pants made out of cherries, apples made from cherries….do you perhaps have any cherry oxygen?" He commented on how nice it was "to see all these hippies running around" the city, and gave props to Top of the Ninth, the local comic book store. Fun stuff.

"Big Fan" is not a comedy per se - more of a dramedy, as much as I hate that schlocky word. I can't talk about the film without referencing the ending, which has to be one of the most memorable I've seen in a TCFF film. The audience went from one extreme end of the emotional spectrum to the other in a span of about 30 seconds. Ask anybody about the movie, and the words "bathroom scene" are almost always the first thing to come up. If you haven't seen it, I won't spoil the ending, but can tell you that it alone is worth the price of admission.

Patton Oswalt

Stay tuned for a recap of Day 4 (yesterday), which for me was a triple-hitter film-wise: "The Cove," "In the Loop" and "Mary & Max." Also, photos and quotes from tonight's 5K Costume Run and Filmmakers Party will be up tomorrow. Check back soon!