Rating: 
Summary: Cusack shows versatility, gives hope to a/v geeks
Review: The usual glut of amusing cameos are here, reaching double digits in the number of actors even the average movie-goer has heard of. All meld together to make a challenging viewing experience which could be repeated painlessly and necessarily, if we geeks are to catch every reference. Can it please the mainstream? The love interest is fairly universal, and the supporting cast uses plenty of postmodern slapstick to keep others interested. For what it's worth, the record store scenes are dead-on, playing stereotypes harmlessly and often hilariously. Tim Robbins gets the standout scene (alternate responses in the store), although the script writes in a chance for each character to unwind, usually quite comically.This will easily gain lasting cult status, however, little or nothing explodes, thus limiting its popular appeal. That and a few nits keep it from being a real classic. Things move a little too fast later on; when things start to look bright, one can only gaze in obsequious disbelief. The top five lists get a little tedious, and real-life geeks will inevitably wonder why their lives aren't so action-packed. In that case, it's an inspiring kick in the [tattered, dirty corduroy] pants. The film ends somewhat abruptly, with much unresolved, vaguely happy and therefore unrealistic. Nonetheless, it's highly recommended for ANYONE, except perhaps people who have never listened to music.
Rating: 
Summary: Cusack's best role since the 80s
Review: This enjoyable romantic comedy stars John Cusack as the love confused Rob Gordon. The movie starts with Rob's breakup with his current girlfriend Laura, leading us into an explaination of his five worst breakups. Cusack delivers a superb preformance (he also co-wrote the film) with the same charm that made him so popular back in the eighties. There are many famous notables. Tim Robins plays Rob's new-age neighbor, who dates Laura after her bad breakup with Rob. Catherine Zeta Jones and Lili Taylor appear as two of Rob's worst breakups. Also keep your eyes open for the whole Cusack family. Once again this is a movie saved by the greatness of John Cusack, by both his personal charm and his ability as a writer. Remember, Cusack is an actor who helped make the romantic comedies of the 80's great. His writing style and acting in High Fiedelity reflect that, making this film one of the best romantic comedies of the nineties and the closest we have seen to the great ones of the eighties.
Rating: 
Summary: Funny to 10% of the populace, 90% won't understand
Review: High Fidelity is such a funny movie if you understand all the little "in jokes." It is one of those rarely intelligent comedies that does not pander down to the common Adam Sandler loving fool but plays on the fact that if you really know a lot about music then you will genuinly enjoy it. John Cusack plays a Woody Allenish type character (kind of) who spends all of his time working in his record shop pondering about lost loves. The first misconception is that this movie is about music. It is not at all. It is about love and life and how music lover's will equate things in their lives to records. Cusack's two employees are really the show stealers. Each has a different taste and their constant bickering really shines. ("What is this crap?" - "No, leave it, this is the new Belle and Sebastian.") They, like Cusack are record junkies and frequently make lists like top five songs that would be played at your funeral. In one hilarious scene they are too snobbish to serve a mainstream customer and boot him out of the store. Tim Robbins gives a wonderful performance as well as an avant garde new boyfriend of Cusack's ex lover. All in all, the fact that this movie speaks to such a small hardcore audience is what will determine weather you like it or not. If you can understand the refernces to The Velvet Underground and The Beta Band then you will know exactly where the characters are coming from. Otherwise you may just find this a typical love story. My sole complaint lies in the films two hours and ten minute running time. No love comedy should be that long ever. Still great though.
Rating:
Summary: One of my top 5 movies of all time
Review: "High Fidelity", is by far one of the best movies I have ever seen, and that is saying alot, anyways, before I saw the movie, I read the book, and I have to say it stayed pretty faithful to the book even though the movie was set in Chicago, and the book was set in london, John Cusac's performance was his best since "Say Anything" in 1989, Jack Black and Todd Louiso almost steal the show as his coworkers, I think Jack Black should be a bigger star than he is, he is just fantastic, and when this movie comes out on DVD, I will be one of the firsts to buy it, I highly reccomend you check this out!
Rating:
Summary: Truthful, hilarious, wonderful
Review: I don't want to say anything about this gem of a film that would spoil it. Let me just say that there are few films that have captured in such honest terms male anxiety, selfishness, and manic love of music as well as this one. And never one that did it all in the same film. I know exactly why this film only made 25-30 million as well: it's just too damn smart. Films like this, in which the charms are subtle and the messages are between the lines and the humor is sly and intelligent, don't do that well. If you didn't see it, rent it. Better yet, buy it when it's released.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best movies about love, whining, ambivalence
Review: There are rare movies that you watch and you go "That's Me!" and these are especially great movies if the next thought in your head is "I'm an idiot!" I watched this movie and I missed fighting with an ex-girlfriend who is still a best friend. I think a lot of people will see it that way. Anyhow, John Cusack whose niche seems to be playing losers (Better Off Dead, Say Anything, Being John Malkovich, Tapeheads, etc.) plays one of the most appealing losers since Lloyd from Say Anything. His girlfriend has left him. His career is running a failing record store. He decides to go over all his past relationships to figure out what went wrong. Worse is that his girlfriend keeps coming back for her stuff and you start to realize that she is perfect for him, even as she walks off to start something with the politically correct granola ponytail wearing upstairs neighbor played with smug self-satisfaction by Tim Robbins (in the scene where John Cusack wants to beat him senseless, Tim Robbins plays the part so you the audience would also like to beat him senseless) Through a series of lists (five most humiliating breakups, five best songs about burning things up. four things that my ex- told her best friend to make her best friend hate my guts)his two friends at the record store (they fit the record store stereotype clerk to the hilt - or comic book store clerk or any store with a cool selection. one's a jerk and the other one's a freaky loner) and a brief affair with Lisa Bonet (whose version of "Baby I Love Your Ways" SHOULD be on the soundtrack but isn't.) and the meetings with the previously mentioned five most humiliating breakups, the main character stops relating to the world as a carnival that's out to stick him in the lion cage and starts gaining perspective, even maturity. By the end with John Cusack back with his girlfriend, you have absolutely no idea if they are going to stay together or break up again, but you really want them to stay together. If only to give the notion that it's worth growing up. This is a long movie, a movie with many subplots and counter subplots but an honest movie and a movie that will go down as one of the classics of honest romance movies in a sea of saccharine junk with plots that were written from a standard romantic plotline (they meet, they go out, they sleep together, they break up, they get back together in a funny sequence at the end, the audience falls asleep, etc.) Original beauty and it makes me hope that the rest of Hornby's books should also be adapted for the screen.
Rating:
Summary: A Rare Gem
Review: I loved this movie so much that I read the book, and I am glad I saw the movie first. The book was so heartless, border-line misogynistic and devoid of any real sentiment that I would not have bothered with the movie had I read the book first. Somehow, John Cusack and his co-writers managed to remain faithful to the essence and content of the story, and still create a new one. Subtle little adjustments here and there turned the thoroughly unlikeable and unredeemable Rob Fleming into Rob Gordon, a developmentally arrested and rather flawed owner of a struggling record store, who has many of the same shortcomings as the book's character, but with much more heart, which makes him much more forgiveable. The female characters were also enjoyable and very real. I personally know someone just like each of them. Heck, I am just like some of them! What makes this film work so well is the realism and honesty. This is not a film just for men, nor is it a diatribe on how all men are pigs. It's a genuine story of one man's painful journey toward adult love, and the pain he unwittingly inflicts on himself and others along the way, with the promise of a happy ending. It's so real it haunts you for days afterward.
Rating:
Summary: An Unexpected Gem
Review: Well, I must admit that I walked into this movie with my doubts, only seeing it because of a few good reviews from some reliable sources. I thought it would just be your typical hollywood romance-comedy, but I was wrong. It is so much more deeper than that. John Cusack plays Rob, the owner of a used vinyl store who in the begining has just broken up with his long time girlfriend. He then precedes to list the top 5 all time most painful break-up list, deliberately leaving her off, to make himself feel better about the breakup even though he knows she would be on it. The comedy-relief is brought by two co-workers at his store, most notably Barry, a loud-muthed outspoken jerk who lets people know what is on his mind. The scene at the end with Jack Black is destined to become classic, you'll see why when you watch the movie. This i sthe best movie of the year so far and it sure ould take alot to move it out of that position. Cusack gives an Oscar-worthy performance, and it was to bad it was released this early because now it has almost 0 chance of getting any Oscar recognition. Just see this movie, and you'll know what I mean when I say I wanted to see it again right after it was over.
Rating:
Summary: Pointless, CUSACK, Angry, Dissapointed, then CHARMED
Review: I sat in the theater and watched as John Cusack ran down his list of top 5 breakups--it was entertaining, but I thought pointless. Then a long scene with his two buddies at his record store. . . the one guy angered me, I felt dissapointed that I wasted my time, until the point hit me and the movie made sense.....THEN THE MOVIE CHARMED me and I realized that his top 5 list wasn't pointless and I enjoyed his buddies..I thought I'd be dissapointed, but I walked out of the theatre SMILING. . . go see it!
Rating:
Summary: A poignant and cool exploration of relationships and music.
Review: Having worked in a record store and the music industry for several years, I relate to this film. It captures the cynical nature one acquires when working in a shop that repeatedly gets customers who want the newest hit of the week. However, it also brilliantly captures the feelings of loneliness, isolation, and lack of acceptance a person feels when they are merely the clerk who sells the weekly fix. John Cusack is fantastic and the supporting cast nearly steal the film. These characters are so familiar that I swear I have met every one of them. I will never forget the line towards the end when Cusack says, "The fantasy does not deliver." The line points out a harsh reality that all of us music and film geeks desperately try not to believe. The film is yet another beautifully written and executed film from the rapidly approaching genius of John Cusack.
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