I have a theory about what makes John Cusack so successful. He
makes chick flicks for guys. How can you go wrong? His last big
project, Pushing Tin was a bit disappointing (pretty hoakey
in my opinion), but he seems to be back on track with High
Fidelity.
In this movie, Cusack plays (you guessed it) a charismatic misfit who is (you guessed it) trying to revive a busted relationship. His latest incarnation, Rob Gordon, is an underachieving music fanatic who owns a funky old vinyl record store. He mostly hangs around and watches his two employees drive away paying customers (more on that later). After the latest in a long series of relationship failures, Rob's frustration starts to get the better of him as he tries to figure out just what makes him so perpetually dumpable.
The movie works because it's full of great characters and the script is a real gem. Most of us guys will easily be able to see a bit of ourselves in Rob. He's a cool guy and he means well, but he definitely suffers from not being perfect. In spite of his quirky natural charm, Cusack has refined the ability to be unappealing, on demand. This makes his character Rob all the more credible. His main love interest, Laura (Iben Hjejle, yes that's spelled correctly) is very appealing, and we can often empathize with her at least as much as we can with Rob. (He can be a bit of an ass from time to time, you see...)
The supporting cast is also great. I really loved Jack Black as Barry, the employee from hell. He won't hesitate to cut down anyone who knows less than he does, which is everybody. (The less you know, the more trouble you're in...) Underneath the very amusing rude facade, he actually has a lot of heart. Great character! Tim Robbins was excellent as Laura's unworthy new boyfriend. Also look for great spots by John's sister Joan Cusack and Lisa Marie Bonet (hotter than ever, I'm glad to report...)
I think it's safe to say that High Fidelity is the best John Cusack vehicle to date. The novel by Steve Pink was a big hit in it's own right, and it couldn't be a better match for the John Cusack movie machine. This pic has something for everyone, and it goes without saying that the soundtrack is very cool...