Cinema Revisited: High Fidelity (2000)
Directed by Stephen Frears. Starring John Cusack, Lisa Bonet, Jack Black, Tim Robbins, Lili Taylor, Catherine Zeta-Jones. Released March 31, 2000. Running time 113 minutes.
John Cusack plays Rob Gordon, the owner of a specialty record store whose small apartment is crowded with makeshift wooden shelves of vinyl. The opening shot of the movie is a closeup of his face as he wonders aloud, "Do I love pop music because I am depressed, or am I depressed because I love pop music?" Meanwhile, "You're Gonna Miss Me" by the 13th Floor Elevators blares from his headphones as his live in girlfriend moves out.
Rob is an aimless middle-aged man who has been moving from one toxic relationship to another since he was 14 years old. His mother wants him to conventionally settle down. Rob secretly wants it too, but his inability to sustain a relationship forces him to outwardly deny it.
The most interesting aspect of the film is the connection Rob has with the two vinyl geeks who work part time at this store -- but show up every day whether they're getting paid or not. They have no life beyond those parameters and have a snobbish approach to their obsession. Jack Black, as Barry, chastises a man who comes into the store and asks for a dull Stevie Wonder pop song for his daughter. He angrily removes a downer Belle and Sebastian cassette from the stereo and replaces it with his own mixed tape of upbeat music. But it's simple stuff like" Little Latin Lupe Lu" which belies his snobbery, even though he argues with the other worker, Dick (Todd Louiso), as to whether the Righteous Brothers or Mitch Ryder have the better version.
When the film explores Rob's relationships, even a more interesting connection with an edgy club singer (and a great performance by Lisa Bonet), it is decidedly less interesting than the dynamic between the people in the record store. The collectors who shell out big money, the judgement of those who like mainstream over the more challenging independent tracks, the obsessive sorting of albums in different categories -- these seem to explore the layers of the character more effectively. They amuse themselves by making impromptu lists. Sara Gilbert offers a good counterpart to Todd Louiso's character as a record store customer who is being opened up to different music. Jack Black is imminently punchable as usual, but has a great scene where he keeps handing classic LPs to a customer who admits to having no Jesus and Mary Chain, no Bob Dylan, etc. The connection with Lisa Bonet is better because it also connects to the records store, at least tangentially. The others are detached from that part of his life.
Cusack carries the relationship scenes as a sort of ersatz narrator, facing the camera and speaking directly to the viewer. He explains the toxicity of his most recent failed relationship is because, as he admits, "I'm an asshole." But even Cusack's general screen charisma isn't enough to sustain interest in the problems that his character is essentially creating for himself. Of course that is the point. We are dealing with a difficult individual. When the narrative extends to his ex-girlfriend seeing another man (Tim Robbins), the off-the-rails reaction is more amusing as it is presented via a series of fantasies where he chases the man out of his store, or beats him up. His going back and seeing his old girlfriends to try and sort out results in a lot of explosive moments that are supposed to be wryly amusing, but fall flat. And a brief cameo by Bruce Springsteen is pure stunt casting. But because the narrative keeps returning to the record store, the film manages to maintain interest.
Based on Nick Hornby's book, with the locale moved from London to Chicago, High Fidelity was quite a hit upon its initial release, pleasing critics and generating formidable box office receipts. Now nearly 20 years old, it holds up to an extent -- its dated elements (cassette tapes, a record store owner's disdain for rap and hip-hop) are more quaint than archaic. A flawed film, but entertaining with some standout scenes.