'High Fidelity' review by Captain Raptor
Reviewing a film based on a book can be a tricky matter, because the things you like/dislike about it may simply be an intrinsic part of the original text. Having not read Nick Hornby's novel, I cannot know what dialogue and characterisation should be credited to him, and which should be credited to the cast and crew of the movie, so if it seems like I'm doing Hornby a disservice by only praising the film and not the novel, then I'm very sorry.
High Fidelity really grabs you from the beginning, which is remarkable for such a low-key film. Rather than have information conveyed via narration and voice-over, John Cusack's protagonist Rob Gordon looks and speaks directly into the camera to express his thoughts, most of which are about music and women. A funny and quotable opening monologue ("Do I listen to pop music because I'm miserable or am I miserable because I listen to pop music?") gives a great character introduction and introduces you to to the film's only quirk by having Cusack talk about life and love to the audience, pausing occasionally to continue his break-up with his girlfriend. Rob really ticks every box on the Indie Comedy Protagonist checklist; he works in a record store, he's self-centred but in a very likeable way (although no force on Earth could ever prevent Cusack from being likeable), he's unlucky in love and at one point he screams angrily in the rain. Jack Black co-stars and does his Jack Black thing, being energetic and overbearing whilst cracking jokes about rock music. It's the same thing you've seen him do in half a dozen dumb stoner flicks, but when relegated to a side role he comes as an amusing burst of energy rather than as the idiotic irritant he often becomes when he's forced to carry a film. Despite starting in the midst of a break-up, the plot is a fairly typical romantic comedy, albeit with far more pop culture references.
What it lacks in originality, High Fidelity makes up for in, well, everything else. A charismatic cast play a series of well-developed characters who can be entertaining, hilarious and realistic simultaneously and they're supported by a script packed with dry wit and clever observations. John Cusack's constant direct interaction with the audience is the highlight for me; something that should be jarring and break the flow actually makes the movie run more fluidly and engages the audience, and gives a lot of comedic opportunities, which Cusack takes full advantage of, his dialogue a mix of sarcastic humour and total honesty with perfect delivery. The main characters all share an obsession with alternative culture and particularly music, so The Clash, Evil Dead II and Massive Attack all being name dropped, and even a brief appearance from Bruce Springsteen himself, acting as one half of Rob's internal dialogue. If, like me, you're a fan of these things, it adds a whole other layer of coolness and charm to the proceedings, as well as making Rob even more relatable.
High Fidelity is funny, clever, cool and honest. It's an excellent study in characterisation, and one of the few films I've ever seen that manages to make every character seem both relatable and interesting. It's a film that celebrates being ordinary, and being a misfit, and being a fan. Every ingredient works, it's poignant without being serious and it's hysterically funny. In short, it's the best film that I've seen in a long, long time.
High Fidelity really grabs you from the beginning, which is remarkable for such a low-key film. Rather than have information conveyed via narration and voice-over, John Cusack's protagonist Rob Gordon looks and speaks directly into the camera to express his thoughts, most of which are about music and women. A funny and quotable opening monologue ("Do I listen to pop music because I'm miserable or am I miserable because I listen to pop music?") gives a great character introduction and introduces you to to the film's only quirk by having Cusack talk about life and love to the audience, pausing occasionally to continue his break-up with his girlfriend. Rob really ticks every box on the Indie Comedy Protagonist checklist; he works in a record store, he's self-centred but in a very likeable way (although no force on Earth could ever prevent Cusack from being likeable), he's unlucky in love and at one point he screams angrily in the rain. Jack Black co-stars and does his Jack Black thing, being energetic and overbearing whilst cracking jokes about rock music. It's the same thing you've seen him do in half a dozen dumb stoner flicks, but when relegated to a side role he comes as an amusing burst of energy rather than as the idiotic irritant he often becomes when he's forced to carry a film. Despite starting in the midst of a break-up, the plot is a fairly typical romantic comedy, albeit with far more pop culture references.
What it lacks in originality, High Fidelity makes up for in, well, everything else. A charismatic cast play a series of well-developed characters who can be entertaining, hilarious and realistic simultaneously and they're supported by a script packed with dry wit and clever observations. John Cusack's constant direct interaction with the audience is the highlight for me; something that should be jarring and break the flow actually makes the movie run more fluidly and engages the audience, and gives a lot of comedic opportunities, which Cusack takes full advantage of, his dialogue a mix of sarcastic humour and total honesty with perfect delivery. The main characters all share an obsession with alternative culture and particularly music, so The Clash, Evil Dead II and Massive Attack all being name dropped, and even a brief appearance from Bruce Springsteen himself, acting as one half of Rob's internal dialogue. If, like me, you're a fan of these things, it adds a whole other layer of coolness and charm to the proceedings, as well as making Rob even more relatable.
High Fidelity is funny, clever, cool and honest. It's an excellent study in characterisation, and one of the few films I've ever seen that manages to make every character seem both relatable and interesting. It's a film that celebrates being ordinary, and being a misfit, and being a fan. Every ingredient works, it's poignant without being serious and it's hysterically funny. In short, it's the best film that I've seen in a long, long time.
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