Review of High Fidelity (2000) by Jake G — 09 Feb 2010

John Cusack's performance as soul- searching thirty-something Rob Gordon is difficult to discredit, and although the emotional roller coaster that is HIGH FIDELITY seems to pull a few too many G's, at times, it is nevertheless a highly entertaining, eminently watchable film. Stephen Frears' sharp direction and a likeable ensemble cast also contribute to the film's success, which, in the end, never skips a groove.

HIGH FIDELITY is the somewhat uncomfortable mix of a video diary and third person depiction of Rob Gordon (John Cusack), an angsty audiophile sorting out personal problems. The catalyst for the soul searching is his breakup with long-time girlfriend Laura (Iben Hjejle, anyone know how to pronounce that last name?) a fastidious blond who seems to have outgrown her former lover. Their once-shared apartment becomes a battleground of sorts, as his ex frequently returns to collect personal effects and exchange a few choice words. His asylum from the street fight is Championship Vinyl, the self-owned, practically self-operated record store where he makes his living.

To set the story straight, once and for all, Rob interviews the girls who made up his "Top 5 Breakups," nasty parting-of-ways that he colorfully describes in detail. We meet Charlie Nicholson (a foxy Catherine Zeta-Jones), a seemingly perfect girl who isn't the right fit for him, and a host of other has-been girlfriends. His journey is often painful, but just as often spiked with humor-- part of Frears' success is avoiding the common pitfall of HIGH FIDELITY's ilk, a tendency to take things too seriously.

But if I make it seem that the film is a stolid tale of Rob's misanthropy, I'm leading you astray: we get postive buzz aplenty from his misfit "assistants," Dick (Todd Louiso) and Barry (Jack Black). As a tandem they are an effective counterbalance to Gordon's doom and gloom, Barry especially providing humor relief. Other highlights include the two punk shoplifters, Vince (Chris Rehmann) and Justin (Ben Carr), who together form a band whose music defies categorization.

Along the way, he begins to share more and more of his frustrations with his assistants, become more emotionally honest with his ex-girlfriend and former lovers, and finally-- grow up. As his adult life until that point had been an extended childhood of sorts, HIGH FIDELITY is rather a delayed coming of age movie. But though Rob's experiences are a personal catharsis, will he be able to patch up his broken relationships?

Frears has the luxury of being able to focus the lion's share of HIGH FIDELITY's running time on the development of Cusack's character, and by the finale I almost felt I had met and had a good chat with a like-minded guy at a party. In other words, the viewer is made to feel that there really is a Rob Gordon out there, rearranging records and compulsively making Top 5 lists. "Lemme get the address of that record store, I'll swing by and check it out," we want to say in parting.

And although I have a few quibbles, such as my belief that the film would have been better off set in London, as in the Hornby novel, than in Chicago, HIGH FIDELITY is nevertheless a treat for aficionados of smart dramas and music lovers alike. Though the Rob on the cover is endlessly posing, perpetually trying to find his best side, as an audience we feel we've seen it in this film: a guy with some personality flaws, sometimes a bit standoffish, but nevertheless passionate about music and life.