High Fidelity

Date:    April 1, 2000

Cast:

Director: Stephen Frears

Live, from the Championship Vinyl at the corner of Milwaukee and Holyoke in Chicago, it’s time for the Top 5 reasons that I liked High Fidelity.  My thanks to owner, manager, and lifelong music fan Rob Gordon, for the use of his premises as the home office.  So now, here we go, and please…no wagering.

5. Smart people on typewriters – In a movie like this, basically lacking a plot, but more about the interactions and reactions of characters, the script becomes the boat that can sink, or make it.  Here, the intelligence, and insight is well done, and give us people that we can actually relate to.  The workers at the record store who “were hired part-time 3 years ago, and just kept showing up” are the contrasting styles of obnoxious and condescending but also, innocent, and trying to fit in and make it in the world, based on a passion.  I related, and at one time in my life, probably felt each of the varied emotions felt by the characters.  I was shy but still felt like a know it all in my expertise. All the while, feeling trampled on, yet curious as the journey that love’s chariot was taking me on.  So, like Gordon, instead of just enjoying, or taking the ride, I too wondered, explored, and sometimes to excess, over analyzed things.  I’m sure that anyone who sees this movie will find their own way to relate, and that my friend, is the result of an intelligent script.  This could have easily degraded into a cheesy preach fest, or bad sitcom on ABC, but by showing real emotion, happiness, pain, etc, it rang true inside me, as it will you I believe.

4. The Look I Love– Director Stephen Frears has always had a great cinematic vision, and he displays it again here.  In a movie based around its characters and plot, the challenge of keeping people watching and interested exists. Frears accomplishes this by breaking down the 4^th wall and letting Gordon interact with us, and always through creative use of thought process (i.e. talking to Bruce Springsteen, or imagining differing results of a scenario) This works for the most part, to break the potential monotony of the movie, but at times becomes a bit excessive and causes the movies only stumbles. Classic movies like Ferris Bueller, and recently Fight Club, show that talking directly to the audience is something that can succeed in moderation, but when to an excess, loses its effect and originality. My only suggestion for improvement would have been to ease up on that aspect.  For the most part though, Frears vision is an interesting, but not entirely unique experience, that will at least keep you watching and paying attention to what is happening onscreen.

3. It’s the little things that mean so much –  Most directors at least know the basics of how to make a movie by putting visions behind words etc etc. However the sign of a good or even great director is one who focuses on every aspect of the film, even down to its smallest roles.  Frears has focused on his smaller characters, realizing that they are the supports upon which his story is precariously built.  Failure on their part would weaken, but not collapse his efforts.  Fortunately, he does great things with what he is given.  Just look at this list of people who appear, screen time ranging from one dream sequence (Bruce Springsteen) to past girlfriends (Lili Taylor and Catherine Zeta-Jones (soon to be Douglas, call her the hyphen queen) to present and potential interests (Lisa Bonet, Natasha Gregson Wagner) Add into this the wonderful duo of an egotistical wannabe condescending know-it-all (the deliciously enjoyable Jack Black) and the low-key innocence (Louiso) and you get a strong supporting cast that rivals any ensemble movie of recent years.  Frears combines all of them fully, completely and effectively, by not over using, nor wasting, even a moment of their time, This shows a great attention to detail that has been lacking in most cinematic faire

2. John Cusack, John Cusack, John Cusack - this movie passes or fails, based upon Cusack.  He is onscreen nearly all of the movies 107 minute running time, so basically, if he can’t carry the movie (which he’s never done before) then there isn’t enough popcorn in the theater to keep us.  However, as is the case here, if he recaptures his 80’s Say Anything charm (which seeming went out the door after 1986) then we won’t be able to get enough.  If Loyd Dobler had grown up, gave up kickboxing for music, and had a falling out with Diane, this is where he would be.  Cusack portrays the painful innocence and imperfection that we can all relate to in some form, with a deft masterful, and comfortable ease.   He just “is” one of us, and we can relate to him, and every other character here, in some form or another.  After all, everything is relative, and the more we can relate to movie character, the more absorbed and tolerant we become of a movies shortcomings.  Again, Cusack almost becomes too much, with the narrative style, but then the rapier style brutal honesty of the screenplay, and Cusacks dead on delivery, bring this one in with a bullet

1. Combo #5- Mix together everything from above, with a timely and fitting soundtrack (80s music, need I say more) and you have an upper Gen-X look at life, love and the power of “what we like” as opposed to “what we are like”   Cusack’s performance carries along what could have easily been a whinier,  preachier version of Reality Bites.  Newsflash for those who wonder what love, and life looks like our perspective, see the world, through the eyes of Rob Gordon, his friends, his lovers, and his past, and you’ll get this picture as I believe you should.  Tune in High Fidelity, and you will like what you see and hear ($$$ out of $$$$)

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