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HIGH FIDELITY Send This Review to a Friend
Rob Gordon, played by John Cusack, is a whiz when it comes to music but a mess when it comes to women. He runs a struggling record store in Chicago and prides himself on selling music on vinyl. He thinks in analogies to music. Everything in his world is classified top five. When we meet him he's concerned with his top five breakups with women, and flashbacks clue us in to back up the comments that he makes directly to the audience. "High Fidelity" provides the opportunity for a music track that can tantalize buffs and almost becomes a character in the film, and what's more there's a cameo appearance by Bruce Springstein.
The territory is unusual for director Stephen Frears, who sails into the milieu with zest and a sense of comedy. But there's a big problem. Rob is such a hapless character that one can lose patience with him despite the charm of Cusack as an actor. Put more strongly, Rob is a total jerk when it comes to the women in his life. He has to grow up. But do we really want to watch the drawn-out process? Supposedly the film is trying to connect with young men who have similar problems and the women who suffer. But Rob is just plain exasperating.
For comic relief there are the two nerdy employees in the store, played sheepishly by Todd Louiso and boisterously by Jack Black, who love music so much they are on hand to work far above and beyond the hours for which they have been hired. They also can drive Rob a bit nuts. Laura, the woman who has just walked out on him, is portrayed by lovely Danish actress Iben Hjejle, and who would blame her? Joan Cusack is Rob's sister, a role that doesn't begin to do justice to Ms. Cusack's capabilities. The screenplay is by D. V. Devincents, Steve Pink, John Cusack and Scott Rosenberg, based on Nick Hornby's book that had London as its locale.
The cast is brightened by Lisa Bonet, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Lili Taylor, Joelle Carter and Tim Robbins. There may be viewers with more tolerance for the leading character. Mine wore out quickly. But there's always that soundtrack. A Touchstone Pictures release.
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