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pure brilliance
by HeatherM (movies profile)
Nov 26, 2004
2
of
2 people found this review helpful
High Fidelity is an actors' show. It doesn't really require fancy visuals or excellent sets to tell its story of Rob (John Cusack), basically a more grown up and more angst-filled version of Cusack's Lloyd Dobler in Say Anything (1989).
Rob runs his own music store, Championship Vinyl, with two other employees: the heavily opinionated Barry (Jakc Black), and the geeky Dick (Todd Louiso). Rob is breaking up with his girlfriend, Laura (Iben Hjelje), who is moved in with the hippy Ian (Tim Robbins.) Basically all the movie is is Cusack talking to the camera, talking to his employees (who get in fights about everything), and trying to figure out why he always ends up in doomed relationships.
And director Steven Frears is just fine with this. He lets the actors stand there and talk, working their brilliance. Cusack, as usual, is very funny in a charming way as Rob, who's slowly getting dragged into adulthood whether he wants to or not. Black is hysterically hilarious as Barry, but then again, Black is always funny. He can even save dreck like Saving Silverman from being a total waste of time. Loiuso is brilliantly likable and nerdy as Dick, a music geek to the heart. Lisa Bonet has a pretty good role as a girl Rob hooks up with. Tim Robbins' performance is humorous, poking fun at his own image and at hippies. John's sister Joan Cusack makes the most out of her small role. Hjejle is the only real problem I have. She seems miscast. High Fidelity needed someone with charm and grace and humor to play Laura: Hjejle has none of those qualities about her.
High Fidelity is still one of my favorite movies of all time, proving that relationships are quite fun to watch, if John Cusack and Jack Black are thrown in as bonuses. |
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