Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist

Starring: Michael Cera, Kat Dennings, Aaron Yoo, Rafi Gavron, Alexis Dziena, Jay Baruchel, Seth Meyers, Eddie Kaye Thomas, John Cho, Andy Samberg
Directed by: Peter Sollett
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Music
2008

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Nick (Michael Cera) tries desperately to reconnect with his ex-girlfriend, Tris (Alexis Dziena), but she has moved on. One night, while he is playing with his band, he meets Norah (Kat Dennings), a friend of Tris, who, in an attempt to seem less uncool, asks Nick to pretend he is her boyfriend, not knowing he is Tris' ex. This sets in motion a series of unpredictable events which begin to draw Nick and Norah closer together.

Review:

Tim: Perhaps somewhat surprisingly, I am not really sure what to say about this film. It is not a very flashy movie, and yet, it is highly effective. When I think back to my viewing experience, nothing in particular stands out. It doesn't have the hilarious moments that Superbad has, or the heartwarming ones that Juno does. And yet, it still manages to be a fairly good movie. It doesn't reach the level of the aforementioned movies, but it is still entertaining. The film is quite subtle, and enjoyable in small ways.

The film does have a fairly decent cast. Michael Cera is always enjoyable, even when he's not given the most memorable of characters. He still manages to be fairly effective. I enjoyed him in this movie, although I'm not entirely sure why. He just comes across as a baby deer trying to stand up, and that is entertaining. He does good work here. I though Kat Dennings was fairly good as well. She's not the typical leading romantic comedy lady, but she works surprisingly well with Cera. She puts in a quiet, subtle performance, but slowly works her magic on the audience, and by the end of the film, we are won over by her. Alexis Dziena is also well cast as the unlikeable ex-girlfriend. She revels in the role and works well here. The entire cast do mostly good work.

What I like about this movie is that it capitalizes on that feeling of newfound freedom and excitement that comes when you are in high school- that the world is just so big and so full of adventure. The events of the film take place over one crazy night, and do a good job of capturing how fast your life can change when you are young. This film reminded me of those thoughts and emotions that I had as a teenager, and may stand as the movie's strongest aspect. I also like that the film tapped into the music scene, because music plays such an important role in most people's lives. I am also biased, but I absolutely loved the small homage to Counting Crows, which makes me like this movie even more.

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist is not the most memorable movie. It tells its entertaining story in a reserved, simple way. And yet, it manages to be highly effective because it never loses track of its goals and delivers on what it promises to be. This film is a lesson in doing what you set out to do, instead of trying to set the world on fire by creating the best movie ever. Instead of straying or getting lost, this movie stays laser focused on its objectives, and it reaches them. That translates into a touching, entertaining movie experience. I enjoyed this movie.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Superbad, Juno, Fool's Gold, I'm Reed Fish