Review of Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist (2008) by Paul M — 14 Dec 2011

Its a really interesting movie that you kind of have to do a double-take on to really get. at first glance it seems like a tween pleasing piece of trite that's made to appeal to the "hipster" kids of this generation. I actually think that's what the studio thought it was too, which is why it was able to get away with some really interesting stuff. I know a lot of people (friends of mine or otherwise) who didn't care for this movie, and I can't blame them for it. but if you really watch it, if you go back and revisit all the movie's little nuances, you realize that the people behind this movie were going for (and actually achieved) something kind of unique.

This movie, in all honesty, is a very realistic portrayal of modern youth. the "wit" of the dialogue actually rings true unlike other "witty worded" comedies about teens, EASY A and JUNO for example. both of those movies are fantasy. teenagers wish they were as witty and pithy as emma stone and ellen page in those movies. they're not. real teenagers wit - much like the characters in nick and norah - is a bit awkward and occasionally charming. teen years are when people fine tune who they are and what kind of personality they're going to carry with them for the rest of their lives. and nick and norah catches that so amazingly. the exchanges between michael cera and kat dennings is so awkward, so endearing, and so uncomfortable that it actually feels like two teenagers who are falling in love. and I mean the teen kind of love. the kind of love that goes as far as "he's cute, she's cute" "we like the same music" "he's shy, she's cool"... you know, basic teen grounds for true romance. that's not to say that teen love is not real love. it is. it is a real true feeling that teenagers have, and it's just as important (if not more important) to them as the grown up love we eventually develop for another person. when you're a teenager, all that you know and have are your feelings. that's why teenagers like music so much, that's why every break up pushes them toward the romantic idea of suicide. in retrospect, it's kind of endearing. you can almost envy that kind of love, that kind of innocence, that kind of naivety.

Another thing about nick and norah upon first glance, are the quirky little romcom devices - the mysterious band, the beat up old car, the drum kit drummer, etc. but you know what? think about your high school years - especially the years after you and your friends got cars. there are places and events that you romanticize. things that are quirky and funny and eventful only to you and your friends. things you had to be there to understand and appreciate. and this movie has those moments, and watch how they're directed and acted - that's how they're played. over romanticized quirky moments that are only special to those who are involved in them.

The final thing to note in nick and norah is the soundtrack (duh). a movie called nick and norah's infinite playlist should have great music, right? well, honestly, the music on the soundtrack is kind of forgetful and uneventful, fading into the obscure background of the film. some might think of this as a mistake or a flaw, but think about this; remember when you would be driving around with your friend and they'd play you a song that they really loved or really meant something to them and you'd listen to it and feel nothing? you'd fake interest with a smile, stare out the window until the four minute indie song was over then you'd turn to your friend and say "wow, man. that was really great." yeah, it happened to all of us and it happened all the time. to us, the song was fine but nothing. but to our friends (the ones who would discover the song on their own terms and take it in the way they wanted to) it was one of the most important building blocks of their young lives. so is the music of nick and norah. its about two music lovers who listen to songs that mean something significant to each other, but no one else (audience included) gives a shit about. the actual musical score for the movie is beautiful too. it plays alike a twenty first century, digital loop fairy tale.

The movie is not without its flaws. the bubble gum running gag is forced, some of the bit character performances aren't exceptional, and some of the moments in the movie (like the orgasm in the sound booth) are too personal to be comfortable to enjoy in anyway (nostalgia included). but the movie over all - if you really pay attention - plays like a memory. the memory of a romantic night of your teen years. a night where the most important night of your life, was that very night. and you know what? maybe a movie like that isn't for you. it comes across as a very personal movie and maybe you don't give a shit about such a personal experience or event. and that makes total sense. it actually makes all the sense in the world. but for saps like me, saps who are genuinely interested in people (even the dumb ones we hate) this is a really interesting movie. a movie that not everyone will get, and that even fewer people will like. and that makes this movie very personal to people like me. funny how that works out, don't you think?