Ice Cold Summer

Last year, Heath Ledger captured our hearts with his Joker, one of the most memorable villains in recent film history. But 2009 offers us a villain even more groundbreaking: Summer Finn.

In "(500) Days of Summer" Zooey Deschanel played Summer, the object of protagonist Tom Hansen's affection. The narrator makes it clear at the film's start that it is not a love story. Summer and Tom will not end up together. Joseph Gordon-Levitt gives a pitch-perfect head-over-heels Tom that we can't help but root for (though it is in vain). But Deschanel steals the show with an ice queen performance to rival Tilda Swinton.

What made Ledger's Joker so great was how (for lack of a better word) "cool" he was. For such a sinister character, you really liked him. You wanted to see more of him. In "(500)," the narrator explains that, though Summer does not posses any extraordinary characteristics, she has a certain quality that demands attention. Deschanel hits this right on the head. Just like Ledger, you can't take your eyes off of her. It is Summer's likability that makes her so sinister and sets her apart from other villains.

Is Summer malicious? No. Violent? No. Conniving? Most likely not. Ruthless? You betcha. I felt like I should enjoy the tender moments between Summer and Tom, but I couldn't. Each time, Summer seemed to be stringing Tom along, neglectful of his feelings. She would casually mention that she didn't want a relationship, but continue to spend many an intimate moment with him. Though Tom's intentions were clearly sincere, she plays ignorant and uses him for her own ambitions. At times it even becomes angering to watch Summer ignore the feelings of such an earnest person.

Will Deschanel win an Oscar for her role? Probably not. But she certainly accomplished a lot with it. She invented a new kind of villain. She embodied all that made Summer attractive (quirky, graceful, funny) and still managed to let you hate her. The desire to see she and Tom together was just as strong as the urge to give her a piece of your mind. Isn't that what a villain is supposed to be? Hated and despised? I cannot even imagine feeling anything malevolent towards Ledger's Joker. Though Summer shows little regard for the hearts of others, Deschanel is winning over more and more with each view.