The two closest things we can ever get to experiencing magic are movies and love. Both can take our hearts and souls and twist them, shock them, comfort them in ways otherwise unknown. And when you combine the two you are destined to uplift and embrace. Magical realism is a difficult genre to pull off properly, as an imbalance between the disparate elements can leave audiences either confused or frustrated. If a film dips too far into whimsy the art risks coming off as aloof and unimportant, while if they only touch the power of magic lightly it can seem uncaring. But when incorporated correctly, it can lead to some of the best films ever made, and, in the instances of these films, some wonderfully romantic tales.
Two films that play with the concept of time and intertwine it with romantic notions are About Time and Groundhog Day. About Time follows Tim (Domhnail Gleeson) in his pursuit of Mary (Rachel McAdams) after discovering his ability to travel back in time using his own memories. While the film eventually turns more towards the relationship between Tim and his father (Bill Nighy) who also has this ability, the first half focuses on the relationship between Tim and Mary. Through time travel we explore the concept of the “perfect relationship”, an unachievable ideal. Tim travels back again and again, exploring options and opportunities, desperate to achieve what Tim believes is Mary’s idea of perfection. And while this works for a time, it is impossible and, more importantly, unacceptable to maintain.
Love is not about doing the unachievable, not about perfection. Love is accepting mistakes, and overcoming disappointments. This isn’t some glib takedown of the concept, it’s an inherent structure of love. Tim learns that, if you’re constantly questioning what could have been you’ll never be able to appreciate what you have. And while this is later transcribed onto the father-son relationship in the film, the story ends with Tim rebuking his powers entirely so as to spend real moments with his wife. It is the imperfections of relationships and romance that make the gesture of love so grand.
A similar situation occurs within Harold Ramis’ masterpiece Groundhog Day. Cantankerous news reporter Phil Connors (Bill Murray) is stuck within a time loop, reliving the same day in a quiet small town over and over again. Phil’s journey is not completely dissimilar to Tim’s, as after pursuing hedonistic desires and giving into the worst aspects of humanity, he then tries to pursue perfection as a means to escape his fate. Phil tries for untold days (it’s unknown how many times Phil relives the same day) to save the life of an elderly homeless man. While not a romantic pursuit, it is only after Phil is able to accept that the man is going to die, that mistakes are a part of life, that he is able to fully let go and make amends with himself and the world that has made him so bitter.
It is only after this abandonment of perfection that Phil is able to win the heart of his love interest Rita (Andie MacDowell). During his hedonistic loops, Phil is shown trying and failing to win over Rita, no matter how much information about her he gathers over numerous days. It’s not until he generates genuine love for Rita that he is able to progress as a man. After this revelation of love, he dedicates his loops not to the destructive desires of the self but to the betterment of the world., Even though he knows that the day will reset, it’s the willingness to try that finally frees Phil from his situation. In the end, it is love that releases him not just from the time loop but the cage that was his initial worldview.
While both previous films are more obvious with their magical elements and the morality those elements bestow upon the characters, with Serendipity we see a lighter touch used. The film follows Jonathon (John Cusack) and Sara (Kate Beckinsale) who, after a chance romantic meeting, decide to let fate decide if they should ever meet again. Ten years later, following both the desire to see each other and through a series of all-but-impossible coincidences, they do finally embrace once more. This one arguably could not be magical realism at all, instead just one bizarre coincidence after another that leads to their reunion. But it is through the introduction of fate that this one plays along with the tropes of magical realism.
The magic here is in those coincidences, it’s the exactness of timing and the precision of events. Like a series of dominoes, the reunion of the leads is an inevitability from the beginning. Through each seeming misstep, they are in fact one step closer to seeing each other. Mistakes are once again not the disillusion of love but the building blocks of healthy adoration. Whether it’s a mistaken identity or an ill-timed elevator door, all events keeping the would-be lovers apart constantly reinforce their desire for one another. Had they met at any other time in the film than the very end, they simply would not have been ready for each other. Fate needed to keep them apart so that they could finally be together.
As with any genre, there must eventually be a takedown of its tropes and any possible misconstruing of messaging that is common within its texts. Romantic comedies have often been targeted for unrealistic portrayals of romance, or outright dangerous and dated concepts. The romantic comedy as viewed through the lens of magical realism is not exempt from these criticisms, as though throughout this essay I have outlined my interpretations of these films they could easily be interpreted in less generous terms. So it’s with the film (500) Days of Summer that the toxic ideas that could be found within these films are so thoroughly skewered.
(500) Days of Summer follows Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a lonely and lost 20-something, as he gets into and falls out of a relationship with Summer (Zooey Deschanel). While the film plays in magical realism, the difference here is that the magic is obviously a fantasy created by Tom, just as Summer is a fantasy created by him. Throughout his first awkward attempts to date Summer and the ultimate relationship, Summer is never more than an idea for Tom. He projects romance and love on her, despite her consistently saying that she is not looking for a serious relationship and the fairly obvious shallowness of their interactions. Tom simply can’t accept this denial, as he has become so preoccupied with the idea of “fate” bringing them together. But for Tom fate is not the impossible coming true, it’s simple things, everyday facts. Liking the same music. Enjoying the same bar. Working in the same building. Tom’s desperation for love leads to him forcing it into his life, to forcing “fate” and fate (of course) can not be made. It can only be.
So while using the tropes of both the romantic comedy and magical realism, director Marc Webber uses the film to cut these misinterpretations and false love down. After the first time having sex with Summer, Tom sees the world as a musical, while we cut away to see the falsehood of his mind. After breaking up, Tom fantasizes about what it means for him to be invited to a party by Summer only for the fantasy and reality to play out side-by-side. Jumping around within the five hundred days of their relationship, going back and forth, helps outline what was built up in Tom’s mind and what the truth of the situation is. Tom is much like many of the protagonists of our other films discussed, learning through mistakes. In this film, though it is not until the very final frame that Tom learns his lesson; love does not create magic, love is the magic itself.
The romantic comedy as a genre is one much derided and dismissed by the mainstream, and magical realism is a rare offering from the industry. So when these two elements are combined it can be hard to fully appreciate the hurdles the films are facing on their way to greatness. And, looking at the derth of less-than-great films from both genres, it’s easy to see ourselves, the viewers, as the protagonists in these films. We’re learning from our mistakes, growing into our love, and realizing that perfection is best when it comes with some flaws.