High Fidelity

Since I'm broke and since there is nothing else out I want to see right now, I feel like I should review some older flicks that are gems in my personal collection. Hopefully this will tide me over on films and push me towards productiveness until something epic *cough, cough* like the Hobbit comes out in the box office.

So today I realized that I have made a huge mistake in my film collection when High Fidelity came on Sundance and I realized I don't own this flick. High Fidelity, starring John Cusack, Jack Black, Joan Cusack, and Iben Hjejle, is truly a must see for anyone.

Why?

Well first off, when I first heard about this flick it was from a bunch of "cool" people who snubbed me routinely and I had my doubts about the film. One night, I sat down with a bottle of Jack Daniels and found the film playing on HBO or something and I was HOOKED. The film is about a thrity something guy who is going through a bad breakup and combines his love for great music, his passion for records, and his confused approach at life to examine the dos and don'ts of living life. John Cusack is a god in this film, but it's not just because of his position in the film or the whole hearted effort he gives to the performance, it's mostly because of his past and the progression of the film icon that he as become.

Let me explain.

Back in 1989 John Cusack defined grunge love and romance in the Cameron Crowe film Say Anything. He was THE ladies man because not only was he an ass kicking kick boxer, he was also a sensitive, smart, romantic guy every wall flower wanted to be. In Say Anything, John Cusack proves that only can the nice guy get the girl, he can lose the girl, get the girl back, and break every woman's heart by holding a boombox over his head in the early evening. My god, that film oozes love and romance, and most people would agree that most girls during that time period were either looking for John Cusack or looking to turn some asshole into John Cusack.

Now fast forward eleven years and we no longer have Lloyd Dobler, now we have Rob Gordon, and in this transition we have the evolution of romance and love. You see, the relationship from Say Anything couldn't have lasted and what walked out of that relationship was a jaded, road weary, heart broken guy who has no idea why he's heart broken. It couldn't have been more perfect if John Cusack had planned it out that way! In High Fidelity we have the answer to what happens when the plane lands, what happens when the romance fades or just simply dries up and dies. You get this guy, who has no clue what the hell he needs to do, no clue what he wants to do, and has the idea of not dying young and being a legend, rather growing old and having to face the dreaded real world.

So now you have the concept of why this part is so genius, now you have to see the performance. John Cusack, under the direction of Stephen Frears, reaches out and speaks right to the audience (probably to the men) and breaks the third wall in film. By taking this step the director turns the film into a work of self motivation and by the end of the film the guys in the audience are reviewing their plans for the future and reviewing the health status of their relationship.....Well probably not really, still it's nice to wonder if a good film, a great film, can still have that effect on people.

In short, High Fidelity is the film that answers the question "What do we do tomorrow?", and in that effort the actors in the film pull out an all star performance that is both memorable and something you can come back to again and again. Each scene is heartfelt, and reaches right into personal experiences and triggers a memory that can be both good and bad in one roll. For a film to be able to do that is down right magic. Don't believe me, go and see it.

Just my thoughts.
J.