Movie Review - 'Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist'

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist

Starring Michael Cera and Kat Dennings
Directed by Peter Sollett
Rated PG-13

One of the best things that can be said about Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist is that there's very little not to like about it. That gives it a big advantage over a lot of teen comedies that throw a lot of surly, half-formed characters in situations where we're supposed to like them and overcrowd their story with pointless joke after joke after joke, hoping for the laughs they're not capable of creating organically. Another huge factor here is that Nick and Norah is unabashedly sweet. That's a risk for a movie aimed at 18 - 24 year olds, but it definitely pays off. There are still problems with the movie, but it's one of those that could pleasantly surprise you if you're not expecting to be blown away. Nick (Michael Cera) is the lovable loser. He's in a terrible band that doesn't know how lousy they are, he's not cool in any way, he drives a Yugo, and he's miserable over being dumped by his girlfriend Tris (Alexis Dziena), who is, shall we say, not the kind of girl a teenager like Nick could normally date. Teenagers are petty creatures, generally. Norah (Kat Dennings) wants to be a bit more of loser, as it turns out. She's been shying away from a fairly cushy life as long as she's been aware of it. While most teens would trumpet the fact that they've got money and their dad is connected with rock stars, Norah keeps it her little secret. Like Nick, Tris has had her way with Norah, too, belittling her throughout high school. Nick and Norah meet in a fateful way. Their journey is unexpected in real life, the status quo in movies. But the growth of their relationship, these two kids uncomfortable with themselves much less each other, is not slapped together at all. It feels authentic. Because we like them, we see no reason for Nick and Norah to not like each other. It doesn't begin that way, or stay that way throughout, but there's a real pull between these characters that doesn't exist just so the movie has a beginning, middle, and an end. Just last week, Nights in Rodanthe was supposed to be romantic. It's not. There are scenes of romance, true, but they're not developed out of anything substantive. Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist creates whole characters and based on their personalities, allows its leads to find their own way to one another. Built around their story is a collection of quirky characters, none of them terribly important nor out of place. Ideally, you want a little more contribution from the supporting cast, but that's in one respect what this film's soundtrack is for. I still wish I didn't have to look up every supporting character's name, however. As for Nick and Norah, we know what to expect out of Michael Cera. Having seen him grow up on Arrested Development, and in two of last year's biggest comedies, Juno and Superbad, Cera is what he is. That's not a backhanded compliment. He's 20 years old. And he does that kind of insecure, gawky comedy better than anyone else. His timing is flawless and he chooses his projects very wisely. Kat Dennings is less well-known, but based on her work here and in Charlie Bartlett from earlier in the year, she could develop into a kind of 21st century Molly Ringwald. She's smart, she's spirited, and she's got the it factor young stars generally need. Romantic comedies are tricky business. You have to buy the romance and you have to laugh. Either one of those is an uphill battle for a lot of films. Nick and Norah doesn't pass with flying colors, but it still wins you over.

Comments

[Joe Russo]

I really enjoyed this flick quite a bit....it was like American Graffiti for the emo crowd.