Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist

It takes a movie like Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist to help me realize that there is still some life in the teen comedy genre. After sitting through recent dogs like College and Drillbit Taylor, here is a movie that not only knows how to speak to its intended audience, but also entertain adults of just about any age who may find themselves watching it. The movie is charming, funny, and is filled with wonderful performances. Of course, this means it will probably be missed by the masses, only to be discovered on DVD far too late. As long as it finds its audience.

One of the film's stars is Michael Cera, a young actor who has come out onto his own this past year with Superbad, Juno, and now this. I don't know if the guy's got a really good eye for scripts, or if he has one of the best agents in the business, but he's definitely onto something here. It could be argued that Cera is essentially playing the same guy in each film - The somewhat laid back and quiet "nice guy" type. And yet, it never feels like he's giving the same performance. I've actually grown to appreciate him a lot more in each film. He takes center stage more here than he did in Superbad, and he has more to do than in Juno. His co-star is a rising young female actress named Katt Dennings, who appeared recently in The House Bunny, but I honestly don't remember her being in it. (Then again, I remember very little about that forgettable film, and it's only been two months since I saw it.) I'll certainly remember her from now on, as she is absolutely wonderful here. Funny and charming, plus smart without being sarcastic. Her Norah is the kind of character I love - Someone who I wouldn't mind having a conversation with in real life. It's rare one finds such a character in a movie, and she does a wonderful job bringing her to life.

The plot that brings Nick and Norah together concerns their search for an elusive indie band called What's Fuzzy, who is supposed to be playing a secret gig somewhere in New York City. It's Friday night, and Nick is being dragged out by his friends so he can forget his recent break up with his former girlfriend, Tris (Alexis Dziena), whom he still makes mix CDs for and hopes will take him back. As for Norah, she's come to the city searching for the band as well with Tris and Norah's best friend, Caroline (Ari Graynor). The two meet when Tris begins ridiculing Norah for not having a boyfriend, and Norah desperately grabs the closest guy she finds nearby to share a kiss with, who just happens to be Nick. This obviously rekindles Tris' interest in Nick, who spends the rest of the night trying to win him away from Norah, despite the fact she cheated on him and left him. As Nick and Norah begin to grow closer together, speeding around the city in Nick's car searching for their favorite band, the night takes an additional turn when Caroline gets drunk and wanders around the city lost, with the two friends trying to track her down.

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist is a simple romantic comedy, and works as such. The characters are smart, and do not fall victims to the infamous Idiot Plot. Most importantly, they have wonderful chemistry, and we want to see the two characters get together by the end credits. It's amazing how few films in the genre understand that important aspect, but this movie has a winning combination. It's not just the wonderful performances of Cera and Dennings, but also the dialogue and the characters themselves. Here are two characters who have an actual connection, and they're not just falling in love because the screenplay requires them to. During the course of the night, Nick's friends who are accompanying him try to manipulate the situation so that he's alone with Norah as much as possible (they want him to forget about Tris), and for once, I actually agreed with the characters. Despite the 90 minute run time, this is a tightly edited movie, so that not a single moment is lost or wasted. There are some individually wonderful moments, such as when Nick and Norah visit a recording studio her father owns, and share their first romantic moment together. It's a very tender and honest scene, and one of the more truthful depictions of young love I've seen in a film in a while.

As the title would suggest, music plays a big part in the film, and the soundtrack does not disappoint. Showcasing a number of new and rising bands, as well as some classic songs, it seems that each scene in the film is set to some piece of music to the point that the soundtrack becomes a character itself in the story. It never becomes a distraction, or simply an excuse to sell a soundtrack album. It underscores the movie perfectly, and was obviously chosen with care by the filmmakers. That same level of care seems to have been put to just about every aspect of the production. The performances and the writing are at a level above the norm for the genre, and that includes both teenage and adult-themed romantic comedies. I guess if I had to find something to complain about, I could do without the film's sole gross out gag, which concerns a toilet in Penn Station and a wad of chewing gum. I'll leave that up to your imagination, and it's probably better off that way.

This is the kind of movie that people usually describe as a "sleeper hit". It won't rattle any cages or break any box office records, but those who do see it are almost certain to be surprised and delighted. This is a small and wonderfully heartfelt movie that has more than enough laughs to entertain, and some actual brains behind it so it sticks with you after it's over. Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist is not just a rare small movie, it's a rare movie in itself - One that never talks down to its young audience, and never insults the older audience.

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