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High Fidelity

Very rarely does a movie come along where you can truly get inside the minds of the characters. The actors in those roles have a hidden secret and the "corner on the market" of top-quality moviemaking, unsurpassed by anyone. Very few are in this elite club of DeNiros, Pacinos, and Redfords.

I'd venture to say John Cusack is a member of the new class of legends, and his honest and lovable performance in High Fidelity proves it.

This time around, we get to see and feel inside the soul of a man. Sure, sometimes it doesn't look too good, we don't like him at times, but we're given an opportunity as Cusack's character is to get a second chance at reevaluating the matters of the heart.

That is always worth the taking, isn't it? Especially if you're really supposed to be with that person, and unfortunate, stupid (OK, very stupid) screw-ups got in the way of it. Painful at times, honest, and uplifting is what were getting from all of this.

So basically if it is right, it will be known; and if not, it will be a part of who you'll be from now on as your soul searches for that right person--a guideline so to speak about what makes love real for two people, and if they are right for each other.

We, the viewer, see two sides of this story, both represented by Cusack's character. One part is seeing visually as the story is played out for us in regular fashion. The other part is being presented (to the viewer) through Cusack's direct character commentary about his life's struggles in understanding love, and how he's working on trying to figure it out to the best of his ability.

Rob Gordon (Cusack), smothered under all the irresponsibleness, crankiness, stubbornness, and jerky lifestyle, is a man with a longing to make his life complete.

But will he know how? Looking deep inside oneself can be a life altering moment.

Rob owns a record store, specializing only in vinyl which isn't raking in the money, but it is something he feels passionate about--and at the same time he also needs something else; he just doesn't know what it is yet.

His girlfriend Laura (Iben Hjejle), has walked out on him. She loves him, but can't stand the foggy feeling of distance between them lately, which is mild compared to the rest of their problems.

Then there are his two friends Barry (Jack Black) and Dick (Todd Louiso) who work for him and have their own unique lifestyles and opinion. They can pick at his brain, intrigue him, amuse him, and at times, make matters worse for him.

Cusack is just simply a great actor, but not in the earth-shattering, overly contrived way. His performances are so real, it's as if they are unrehearsed-- just speaking as one would in everyday life. That is what makes him so special, and so easy to identify with. This role in High Fidelity was moving. He's one of the best actors in my opinion, and his work just keeps getting better. If you remember way back to Better Off Dead with his performance as Lane Myer, he was the screw-up we loved, and almost 20 years later, he still has that little boy quality we have come to expect from him.

Jack Black was hysterical! He added the "Go" power when needed, and his sarcastic and annoying attitude was mellowed by his musical intelligence and off-set humor.

Todd Louiso was awesome! He played it cool, but underneath it all, he was working the crowd with his low-keyed, shy, but opinionated personality.

Iben Hjejle was refreshing, smart, and had great chemistry on screen with Cusack. A quality performance, and I hope to see more roles developed for her.

Not to be forgotten is the supporting role of the music. Rob has this habit of putting things into Top 10 lists, and with the backdrop of the film being a music store, it's inevitable you'll wind up with a great soundtrack. Just tons of references to tons of music! You might even pick up a few new CDs to add to your collection.

High Fidelity is something to not only be watched, but listened to and heard. A great cast put this movie on top and made it work!

Written by: Lynda Dale MacLean

Reviewers Rating: 9
Reader's Rating: 9.22
Reader's Votes: 13

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