Much as Annie Hall did for a previous generation, "(500) Days of Summer" may be the movie that best captures a contemporary romantic sensibility.

Cultural resonance aside, it's hard to imagine a more delightful, witty, well-acted and inventive comedy hitting screens this year.

What sets "(500) Days of Summer" apart from its derivative romcom brethren is its subtle mocking of convention and its charmingly heartfelt story presented in a way that's both breezy and innovative. With singular creative touches, first-time director Marc Webb invigorates what is essentially a boy-meets-girl story.

Where Annie Hall had the famous subtitled scene in which Woody Allen and Diane Keaton said one thing and thought another, "(500) Days of Summer" has a similarly clever split-screen segment, with half of the screen devoted to "Reality" and the other to "Expectation."

Joseph Gordon-Levitt is terrific as Tom, a twentysomething greeting-card writer with artistic dreams beyond his humdrum job. The "Summer" of the title refers not to the season but to the object of Tom's desires. Winningly played by Zooey Deschanel, Summer professes not to believe in love.

In contrast, Tom is the kind of guy who long ago realized that he would not be happy until he meets "the one." He spends more than a year smitten by Summer.

Gordon-Levitt and Deschanel are an appealing and believable couple with palpable chemistry.

It's a fractured tale in which events unfold from Tom's perspective. We are warned early that "this is not a love story." The action switches back and forth over the time Tom and Summer are together, in a clever structure dictated by events rather than linear storytelling.

One of the highlights is a send-up of musical montages that takes place after Tom and Summer's first amorous night. Tom's contented strut becomes a "Singin' in the Rain"-style dance number to the tune of Hall & Oates' peppy "You Make My Dreams." Strangers, and even an animated bluebird, join in Tom's celebration.

The capable supporting cast is eclipsed by the lead actors. Tom's little sister Rachel (Chloe Grace Moretz) has precocious insights in cute segments that sometimes feel forced.

Endearing, fresh and funny, "(500) Days of Summer" also offers insights about fate, attraction, infatuation, heartbreak and the perseverance of hope.