Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist
Michael Cera and Kat Dennings In a Surprisingly Cute Romantic Comedy
Apr 2, 2009
Good romantic comedies are hard to find--one involving teenagers is even harder. Most of them have a few cute lines or moments, but they're largely forgettable. Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist is a little under-the-radar film that, while it received much critical praise upon its release, doesn't seem to have garnered the word-of-mouth praise it deserves.
You Broke Up With Me...on My B-Day
The story starts off with a depressed Nick (Michael Cera), leaving (presumably another) sad voice mail on his ex-girlfriend's (Alexis Dziena) phone. His friends come to pick him up for a band gig and Nick tries to weasel out of it until the radio announces the much-sought-after band Where's Fluffy will secretly be playing somewhere that night in Brooklyn. Off the three of them go.
Getting Nick & Norah Together
Cut across town to the high school, where Nick's ex-girlfriend Tris is bemoaning his latest mix CD to Norah (Kat Dennings) and her friend Caroline (Ari Graynor, who does a true service to what could have been an obvious role). All three are excited for the Where's Fluffy show (though the latter two genuinely enjoy the band, whereas Tris is merely fad-crazy). Tris's shallow character is the only one in danger of being two-dimensional, but luckily Dziena makes her interesting enough for the audience to mostly overlook the dull stereotype. It's pretty easy to see where the story's headed, so luckily the actors are charismatic and the dialogue humorous.
Running Around Brooklyn for Where's Fluffy
Surprisingly, Nick and Norah meet early on in the film and even though it's an awkward start, they hit it off and sparks occasionally fly, with realism. Unfortunately, Nick is still getting over Tris, and it's not long before things blow up and Norah, very respectably, tells him off in no uncertain terms. The night would almost have been over if not for Norah's drunken friend Caroline getting lost in a timely fashion. Between trying to locate drunk friends and Where's Fluffy, it proves to be an interesting night.
Kat Dennings and Michael Cera
While the movie has a few weak moments (Nick's friends trying to Barbie-fy Norah), overall it's strong, keeps up a fast pace (taking time to slow down a little for some of the sweeter moments) and is a really entertaining 90 minutes. Kat Dennings brings humor to all her dialogue, and somehow Michael Cera manages to get away with mumbling--though still being audible--and being funny. The dialogue is one of the film's strongest points (no doubt it was adapted well from David Levithan and Rachel Cohn's novel), but the magic is in the delivery. Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist is a treat, best saved for a bad mood or a much-needed pick-me-up.
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