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Amazon.co.uk 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 Americanisation, idiosyncrasies intact, thanks to John Cusack's inimitable charm and a nimble, nifty screenplay (co-written by Cusack). Early-thirtysomething Rob Gordon (Cusack) is a slacker who owns a vintage record shop, a massive collection of LPs, and innumerable top-five lists in his head. At the opening of the film, Rob recounts directly to the audience his all-time top-five breakups-- which doesn't include his recent falling out with his girlfriend Laura (Iben Hjejle), who has just moved out of their apartment. Thunderstruck and obsessed with Laura's desertion (but loath to admit it), Rob begins a quest to confront the women who instigated the aforementioned top-five breakups to find out just what he did wrong.
Low on plot and high on self-discovery, High Fidelity takes a good 30 minutes or so to find its groove (not unlike Cusack's Grosse Pointe Blank), but once it does, it settles into it comfortably and builds a surprisingly touching momentum. Rob is basically a grown-up version of Cusack's character in Say Anything (who was told "Don't be a guy--be a man!"), and if you like Cusack's brand of smart-alecky romanticism, you'll automatically be won over (if you can handle Cusack's almost non-stop talking to the camera). Still, it's hard not to be moved by Rob's plight. At the beginning of the film he and his coworkers at the record store (played hilariously by Jack Black and Todd Louiso) seem like overgrown boys in their secret clubhouse; by the end, they've grown up considerably, with a clear-eyed view of life. Ably directed by Stephen Frears (Dangerous Liaisons), High Fidelity features a notable supporting cast of the women in Rob's life, including the striking, Danish-born Hjejle, Lisa Bonet as a sultry singer/songwriter, and the triumphant triumvirate of Lili Taylor, Joelle Carter, and Catherine Zeta Jones as Rob's ex-girlfriends. With brief cameos by Tim Robbins as Laura's new, New Age boyfriend and Bruce Springsteen as himself. --Mark Englehart, Amazon.com
Video Description
DVD Special Features:
Deleted Scenes
Interview with Stephen Frears
Interview with John Cusack
Theatrical Trailer
Dolby Digital 5.1: English
Subtitles: English, English for the hearing impaired, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Icelandic, Hebrew, Greek
Deleted Scenes
Interview with Stephen Frears
Interview with John Cusack
Theatrical Trailer
Dolby Digital 5.1: English
Subtitles: English, English for the hearing impaired, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Icelandic, Hebrew, Greek
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
It makes my "Top Five Movies of All Time" list...,
By
This review is from: High Fidelity [DVD] [2000] (DVD)
Not many books translate well onto the screen, and even fewer from one culture to another, but High Fidelity has been beautifully adapted to fit into the American culture. The casting is brilliant; each actor delivers a rich and memorable performance and you will find yourself quoting the script for weeks after. John Cussack plays the obsessive and over-analytical owner of a retro record store. When his girlfriend moves out because he can't commit, he becomes moody and self-critical and tracks down all his ex girlfriends. So begins his familiar trip into the past to find out why everyone seems to dump him... All performances are inspiring, and there are some noteworthy cameos. The scenes that take place in the record store are a stroke of genius. The only danger is that after watching this film, you will spend a ridiculous amount of time making and remaking 'Top Five' lists.
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A romantic comedy with a difference,
By hels48@hotmail.com (London) - See all my reviews
This review is from: High Fidelity [DVD] [2000] (DVD)
Not having read Nick Hornby's book, I saw this film with an open mind, though aware of criticisms it had received for transplanting a very British novel to a very American Chicago. If you can put any wariness of that fact aside, you will find this film an absolute joy to watch. Cusack is fantastic and the viewer is completely drawn to his character from the first moment. His two sidekicks are hilarious, particularly Jack Black, whose final turn on stage is in itself worth buying the film for- it should have been released as a single... A lot of famous faces creep into this film, and no one can be faulted on acting or enthusiasm. Altogether a highly enjoyable piece of entertainment.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
definitely in my top 5 films about breakup,
By bizmandan (staffordshire, england) - See all my reviews
This review is from: High Fidelity [DVD] [2000] (DVD)
I have heard of this film for many years, it's one of those films that keep on popping up in "all time greatest movie" lists. But although I was always completely aware of it, I never really knew what it was about.At face value, High Fidelity looks like a movie about the girl troubles of a 30-something record collector obsessing over his most recent breakup, but just below the surface is a witty but knowing story about a man slowly waking up to the fact that he's been emotionally stuck in adolescence and realizes it's time to start acting like an adult (which means accepting the knowledge that there's more to know about his partner than what records she likes). When I found out that the book this film is based on is by Nick Hornby I realised what I found so likable, as one of my all time top favourite films is "About a Boy", another Hornby adaptation. While one doesn't have to be a music buff to enjoy the movie, they've packed the film with enough knowing musical references to satisfy even the most cynical hipster; anyone who has spent much time in a used record store will feel right at home at Championship Vinyl. And though Cusack's performance, funny and charming but with enough bile to give him a few sharp edges, dominates the film, the supporting cast, especially Jack Black, really does hold it's own. Although they are all arrogant hipster nerds, High Fidelity's characters have just enough depth so that they seem genuine and believable, and there's a lot to be learned from the lessons about struggles with romance and maturity, even if you don't know (or care) how much a French pressing of Captain Beefheart's Safe As Milk fetches these days. A great film that is reminiscent of films like "About a Boy" and "Alfie" just a little less sentimental and a little more man friendly.
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