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High Fidelity

High Fidelity

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Truly good movies defy labels
Review: This is a good movie. It's too unfocused to be a love story; it's too dark to be a comedy; it's too talky to be any sort of musical; it's too crazy to be a drama. I like it a lot - well, I like about 86% of it a lot. One of my standard criteria for movies (and TV shows) is - how often is it unforgiveably stupid? I can't think of any time HF is unforgiveably stupid. Barry skates close to the edge, but I have known this guy, and the verisimilitude really helps save his scenes. A lot of women will probably enjoy seeing Rob hoist on his own petard; a lot of men will probably enjoy Barry's antics. As a card-carrying talker to the camera, I didn't mind Rob talking to the camera. What could be more natural in a first-person narrative?

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: High-Dysfunctionality
Review: I wasn't sure how many stars to give this movie because if I would have written it after my first viewing it might have only been one or two stars but upon subsequent viewings it has really grown on me and now I'd give it four or five.

I don't know what it is that appeals to but I love how Rob, Barry and Dick are like this little dysfunctional family that are always snapping at each other but actually really like each other's company. I don't particularly like Cusack but I love Jack Black, he just cracks me up and Dick is a great character too. I guess I just like the little nuances and dialogue and tid bits and music references and weirdness of these snobby obsessive record collecting geeks.

I think this is a movie that you either like or you don't. I don't think there's much middle ground.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Amusing with music
Review: Not really a comedy, not really a drama, not really a relationship movie and despite the overflowing soundtrack, not really a music movie either. I have no idea what "High Fidelity" counts as, because it's a bit of all of the above. It's pretty entertaining and sometimes quite insightful, certainly very touching and pleasant. No a comedy in the belly-laugh sense, but amusing.

Rob (John Cusack) is an ordinary guy who owns a small record store (aside from the usual CDs, he has actual RECORDS), and has just broken up with his beautiful girlfriend Laura (Iben Hjejle), who is now dating their obnoxious ex-neighbor. He has a long history of getting together with women, only to lose them to other men.

But Laura's leaving is a bit of a wakeup call to Rob, especially considering the weirdo she is now dating. So he drifts back into contact with his previous girlfriends (including the one from seventh grade). Laura tells him that they have a nine percent chance of getting back together, and spells out why she got together with her new boyfriend. And in doing so, he learns some new things about life, love, and commitment.

If you dislike the above description, then "High Fidelity" won't be a good movie for you. It's not a ha-ha-knee-slapping comedy, and it definitely has its share of unhappy moments. But it's very wry, witty, and well-written. (After having read the book, I conclude that it's probably also one of the most faithful adaptations too) And I felt like it gave me a bit of insight into the male brain, although I don't think that Rob is really representative of the male population in general.

The scripting is pretty good, although I got a bit tired of Rob addressing the camera. The camerawork is very good, as is the music; all sorts of music are presented throughout the story, ranging from very loud to quiet and somewhat cheesy ballads that are redeemed by the singer.

Theoretically, I shouldn't like Rob -- he's somewhat stagnated, quite self-pitying and a bit whiny. But Cusack manages to give his character a certain odd likeability, because I wanted him to live happily ever after (or at least happily for a while). Jack Black is hysterically funny as the abrasively elitist rock snob who jeers a customer out of the store when the guy asks for a sappy record; Todd Louiso (as Dick) is equally good as the sort of nice guy who always talks in a loud whisper. Iben Hjejle wasn't quite as good; she always seemed to be channeling Claire Danes, but not very well. And there are brief appearances by Catherine Zeta-Jones, Lili Taylor, and Bruce Springsteen.

"High Fidelity" has a few flaws, but it's quite an enjoyable movie about maturity and love. It's whimsical and has a low-key sweetnss, very pleasant and likable.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Sorry, but this is .....
Review: A lot of people won't find the truth about this movie useful. Sycophants of Cusack, Black, alt rock, or record stores will dis my review just because they refuse to notice how shoddy this movie is. And that's sad because High Fidelty isn't making any of its subjects look good.

I can't imagine what people see in this movie. The lead character is completely unlikeable and his unhappiness is all that he deserves. He spends most of the movie talking into the camera, a passive and highly uninteresting way to tell a story. And the top-five-list gimmick that he uses incessantly gets old long before the director stops using it.

This film is so unimaginative, that it puts Cusack wandering pitifully in the rain in three separate scenes. It also has three scenes in which someone gets angry at someone else in a restaurant and walks out on them. How hard is it to come up with new ideas for scenes? High Fidelty runs out of originality about 10 minutes into its too-long two hours.

Some people will flip out over Bruce Springsteen's cameo not noticing what a poor actor he is. Others will say that Jack Black is uproarious. I'd say mildly amusing, but so underused that even at his zaniest, he couldn't save this muddle. What a waste of an evening. I hate films about ... whiners who bring on their own misery and then wallow in it. It's not even funny. Unless your critical faculties are next to nil, in which case, enjoy!

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Let's be honest
Review: I did not enjoy this film. It had a few good moments, but just a few. Basically, it's about this guy whining about how he can't get in a decent relationship and trying to figure out why. Meanwhile, he's being a complete jacka** to all of his ex-girlfriends and his friends in the process. That might explain a couple things! Maybe it's just that I didn't like the main charactor that completely pushed me away from this film.

The only performance I was particualarly fond of was Lisa Bonet's, but that's pretty much because I like her as an actress and always have. I only have a couple complaints as far as she's concerned- 1. It would've been nice to expand on her character a little more. 2. Ten gallons of blue eye shaddow is a bit much. That sounds superficial, but it truely bugged me.

I give this a two instead of a one because there's a lot of potential in this film that they just failed to meet. It could have made a better play, I think, than a movie. If it had been a play, I think I might have found it more entertaining.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Many similarities
Review: I agree with the others who said this is similar to Annie Hall. The main characters both talk to the camera, have numerous insecurities, discuss marriage with their girlfriends at the end, and the girl outgrows the relationship. The main difference is one movie has attractive people in it. That being said, I love both of them. High Fidelity is just a more modern version of an old story. It's a really great movie nonetheless.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: John's a great comedian.
Review: Transplanted from England to the not-so-mean streets of Chicago, the screen adaptation of Nick Hornby's cult-classic novel High Fidelity emerges unscathed from its Americanization, idiosyncrasies intact, thanks to John Cusack's inimitable charm and a nimble, nifty screenplay. Not as good as Say Anything or Better Off Dead, but it still a classic in my book. Low on plot and high on self-discovery, High Fidelity takes a good 30 minutes or so to find its groove. It's a good rental, and if you're a Cusack fan, it's a must see. 5 stars.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Not in my Top 5, but pretty close
Review: "High Fidelity" is an unusual movie that maps out Rob Gordon's struggle to deal with his current break-up and his history of bad relationships. With a record store serving as the backdrop, Rob (played with cool conviction by John Cusack) gets to the root of his problem by exploring his past and stating his case through dialogues with the camera.
This film is not everyone's cup of tea, mainly because it is more character-driven and not heavy with action. If you don't find humor and meaning in Rob's dialogues, the movie may drag for you. This was not the case for me. I felt that much like Kevin Smith's "Clerks," the speeches (which I found clever) were coupled nicely with a mix of both humorous and touching moments. Why, the knee-slapping stylings of Jack Black alone help the movie avoid becoming too cerebral. Viewers have to accept the character of Rob Gordon for what he is: complex and confused. Things are not going to be easy for him because he is not the subject of a Hollywood fairy tale. His tale is more lifelike, more internal, and less perfect.
If you enjoy more independent, lower budget movies, then check out "High Fidelity." It has a little something for everyone: relationship woes, intelligent conversation, a fantastic soundtrack, and overall great performances.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: If you're a music geek, you will probably like High Fidelity
Review: The best parts of this movie involve Jack Black and the skinny bald dude. The rest of this movie are about John Cusack's character, and how his girlfriend dumped him. I wouldn't have liked this movie if it would have only had the "chick flick" elements, but these elements keep the movie from being pointless.

What you might not like about this movie is the way John Cusack will start narrating in the middle of a scene. I remember seeing Cusack talk to the camera in ads for this movie, and for that reason I didn't want to see this movie.

I sometimes wish that a sequel to this movie would be made. It wouldn't be a sequel so much as an expansion. This expansion could take place primarily at Rob's record store. It would be like Clerks, but in a record store.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: One of my favorite films of all time
Review: This is a great DVD that no one even remotely interested in music/romance/Jack Black should miss. The DVD has great features, amazing sound and picture quality, and the movie itself is amazing. John Cusack is amazing as the brooding, wounded romancer, spinning his tale of love found and lost, with some great scenes in his record store woven into the mix. And Jack Black (hilarious) plays an eccentric lackey who comes through for his friend in the end. AN ABSOLUTE MUST SEE!!


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