Rating: 7.8/10 --> Make a point to see it … Comedy Rating: 8.0/10
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I can’t really tell, is this a Romantic- Comedy, a Comedy about love, or just a Comedy. Either way, the movie was funny, moving, and witty. John Cusack is typical John Cusack in High Fidelity; sarcastic and emotional. It’s hard to picture anyone else playing a guy who constantly gets left by his girlfriends for someone else, because Cusack, is great at playing a dejected asshole.
Cinematography in the film was standard, so there’s nothing to really talk about there. Instead I’m I’m gonna focus on the writing. High Fidelity is based off the book High Fidelity, by Nick Hornby, and is adapted for the screen by a slew of writers, but D.V. DeVincentis get’s the primary credit. Although I haven’t read the book, it’s obvious that Cusack’s narration throughout the movie is their way of incorporating witty, internal dialogue that typically would only be apparent if you read the book. Usually breaking the 4th wall (which Cusack does frequently) takes you out of the movie, and can be tacky, but I liked it in this case, because it made you feel like you were sitting in the living room with him. Comedy allows for breaking the 4th wall to be acceptable, for instance in Animal House, Bluto looks at the screen and raises his eyebrows at the camera, and it’s extremely funny.
“Top 5 Lists” were used throughout the film as a sort of motif. Rob (Cusack) first uses it to describe his top 5 worst breakups, which serves as the foundation for the plot of the film; Rob can never make a relationship work. This propels him to seek out all of his ex-girlfriends and find out why they left him. Like any good screenplay, the “Top 5 List” idea was repeated throughout the movie (usually when Cusack broke the 4th wall). The hardest top 5 list for Rob though, “What are your top 5 albums of all time?”
The theme of music throughout the film is what makes the movie so interesting for a music lover like me. The use of pretentious record store pricks, Barry (Jack Black) and Dick (Todd Louiso), provided an outlet for music history. They would constantly argue about which bands were better, which versions of songs were better, and just every little petty argument about music possible.
What made this movie extra funny for me though, was Jack Black as Barry. Barry brought me back to old-school Jack Black, who was hysterical in his words, movements, and facial expressions. This was right before Black did: Saving Silverman, Shallow Hall, and Orange County, all of which are classic Jack Black characters, and made him a superstar in the first place. One scene that highlights Barry’s (Black) humorous douchebagery is when a middle-aged guy comes into the record store looking for “I just called to say I love you” for his daughter. Barry tells him that they in fact have it, so the middle aged-guy asks if he can buy it, and Barry just answers back no because, “It's sentimental tacky crap. Do we look like the kind of store that sells I Just Called to Say I Love You? Go to the mall.”
Overall High Fidelity is an angst filled comedy about failed relationships, it is not a chick flick, I repeat it is not a chick flick, you will not find Cusack holding a boom box over his head blasting “In your Eyes.” Music lovers this movie is definitely for you, there’s a lot you can relate to, such as Rob re-organizing his entire collection after a break-up. High Fidelity won’t disappoint, unless you don’t like witty, sarcastic, dark humor colored by a passion for all genres for music …. except pop. Come on we all know pop actually sucks, it’s only catchy because it’s the same three chords in EVERY SONG.
