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Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist
Reviewed by Rick Klaw
(October 2008)
Director: Peter Sollett
Writer: Lorene Scafaria (screenplay), Rachel Cohn (novel)
Starring: Michael Cera, Kat Dennings, Aaron Yoo, Rafi Gavron, Ari Graynor |
| On first blush, Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist seems to be your typical Eighties-style teen romantic comedy. The despondent Nick - the charming Michael Cera, most recently sharing his crooked smile on the big screen in the critical darling Juno and the crass commercial hit Superbad - pines for his shallow ex-girlfriend, Tris (the vamping Alexis Dziena). From the isolation of his room, Nick has produced a series of elaborate mix CDs, complete with crafty packaging and commentary, proclaiming his love for the uncaring snob in the vain hope of winning her back. His openly gay friends Thom (Aaron Yoo) and Dev (Rafi Gavron), with whom Nick plays bass in post-punk band The Jerkoffs, convince him to join them for a gig that becomes a night of adventure. Expertly portrayed with mystery and verve by the alluring Kat Dennings, Norah lacks direction in her life. She questions her previous assumptions, wondering whether to take her place in the family business or accept an offer to study at Brown. Norah and her best friend, Caroline, expertly played with precision-comedic timing by Ari Graynor, set out on a quest to locate an esoteric band's rumored appearance, starting with The Jerkoffs show. |
| After the performance, Nick and Norah meet for the first time, granting us the first glimpse of the duo's promise and charisma. Through various situations, some manufactured by Thom and Dav and others quite random, the pair negotiate the city in Nick's beat up vintage yellow Yugo. A running gag involving the mistaking of his vehicle for a taxi leads to several humorous scenes intelligently limited to a few insightful moments. Director Peter Sollett wisely centers this adaptation of Rachel Cohn and David Levithan's young adult novel around the music. He deftly weaves and develops Nick and Norah's burgeoning relationship through their shared playlists while they traverse the New York's indie emo scene. Their love of music fuels the story's most poignant and important moments. The lone sex scene Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist, evovles from the feminine perspective. She initiates and gently controls the act. The couple remain dressed with only their pants unbuttoned, and, when the act reaches its crescendo, Sollet focuses on the dazzling lights of the mixer. Sollet and Screenwriter Lorene Scafaria consciously and very deliberately unveil this sweet, remarkably feminist yet egalitarian romantic tale, hitting the right notes at all the proper times into a film that plays light years beyond its peers. Reminiscent of John Cusak in The Sure Thing (1985) and Julia Roberts in Mystic Pizza (1988), Cera and Dennings dominate the screen, promising even better things ahead for this duo. -MPM
Photos copyright 2008 Columbia Tristar Marketing Group, Inc. All rights reserved. |
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