High Fidelity

Advantages: funny, great music, Cusack, makes you think (a bit)
Disadvantages: a bit light and unfilling

...I just came back from seeing High Fidelity. I've not read the book but, I'm already a fan of Cusack, and I thought he was great in this. This was kinda important seeing as he must have been in shot throughout the film. Although it sounds boring, it's basically about Cusack contemplating his life and his failed relationships. But he manages to be charming, full of believable wit and insight (well obviously i have been thinking about these things as much as he has). if your into non-pop music and into feeling smug then you'll love this. You'll be filled with glee when you recognise the 'rare' songs. But even if your not, the soundtrack is great, and as I find with all movies, is a good waying of finding new music you wouldn't normally listen to. I did read some worrying, about the fact that the film would not work if...

maxconrad 24.07.2000 · Read review
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Review of High Fidelity (DVD)

High Fidelity DVD Review

Advantages: Comedy genious
Disadvantages: none really to report

...recommend this film to anyone, I know men and women who have chosen this film as their favorite and I have no qualms as to why! Also if you haven't already I would recommend reading the book! *****CAST***** John Cusack , Jack Black , Lisa Bonet , Joelle Carter , Joan Cusack , Sara Gilbert, Iben Hjejle *****DIRECTOR***** Stephen Frears *****RUNTIME***** 109 mins *****RELEASE DATE***** Released 07 May 2001 *****CERTIFICATE***** 15 *****DID YOU KNOW***** Made for $20 million High Fidelity arrived in cinemas and made $6.4 million in its opening weekend and 700,000 in the UK. After its run in the cinemas it had made over $27.27 million in the US and 4.7 million in the UK....

shoe-junkie 16.11.2005 · Read review
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Review of High Fidelity (DVD)

High Fidelity Loved the Book More Than The Movie

Advantages: Good film
Disadvantages: Book was better

...High Fidelity…Seen the Film and Read the Book!! Just watched the film “High Fidelity” on Saturday night and although it was an all right film I much preferred the book. The film starred John Cusack and I have to admit I am a fan of Cusack. Anyway it’s a nice sort of film about a guy who breaks up with his girlfriend and then looks back on his five most memorable split-ups. This then traced his girlfriends from 1972 – 1986, going from when he was growing up in his teens until he was in his late twenties. This part is much better in the book and is spoilt a bit in the film, in the book I could relate more to the way in which he described going out with a girl for the first time, the first tries at sex and all that drinking, smoking and generally growing up phase. The film lacked all that...

art1954 18.08.2001 · Read review
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Review of High Fidelity (DVD)

High Fidelity Allstars

Advantages:
Disadvantages:

...High Fidelity is the latest Nick Hornby book to be adapted for the big screen, but this time, unlike with Fever Pitch, it has also been given the Hollywood treatment. The main consequence of this is that instead of it being set in London it has moved to Chicago. Annoying as this is for us British, it hasn't had much affect on the film, with the books humour and tails of male angst, still shinning through. John Cusak, who also co produced the film, puts in a great performance as a record shop owner who is going through going through a "What does it all mean" phase, but the stars of the film have to be his co-workers in the shop who continually argue and crisis customers, producing some hilarious scenes....

Reinhold-Messner 23.07.2000 · Read review
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Review of High Fidelity (DVD)

High Praise for High Fidelity

Advantages: Funny, music.
Disadvantages:

..., and Catherine Zeta Jones is amusing in her role as one of the Top Five. All in all, High Fidelity is definitely a film I would highly recommend. Despite the depressing subject matter, the film is humorous, and the music is pretty decent too, especially for anyone who likes 80's stuff....

JohnHopkins 08.08.2000 · Read review
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Review of High Fidelity (DVD)

High Fidelity but low quality

Advantages: Good soundtrack
Disadvantages: Poor adaptation of a good book

......

nicanddarrell 06.10.2002 · Read review
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Review of High Fidelity (DVD)

High Fidelity is off the scale

Advantages: Funny, compelling, annoyingly accurate
Disadvantages: annoyingly accurate!

...Do you remember your first kiss? Behind the bike shed, in the park, maybe at a party? Nick Hornby certainly remembers it. I can’t help but think that High Fidelity is a primordial soup of his own relationships. Each is written with such poise and humour that they can only be real. That or they just remind me of my own relationships! This book is very much a character book. It’s not about a story that unfolds with twists and turns. Sam, the main character is not a secret agent I’m afraid. He's normal, completely normal (apart from an obsessive knowledge of music). But none of this matters as we are cleverly in twined with the characters, the incessantly annoying Barry (who you cannot help but to feel for, he obviously hasn't had sex in a long time!) and Dick who will almost definitely bring a smile to your...

whiskeyandcoke 11.07.2001 · Read review
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Review of High Fidelity - Nick Hornby

What came first, the music or the misery?

Advantages: Great story, perfomances and soundtrack
Disadvantages: None

..."What came first, the music or the misery? Did I listen to pop music because I was miserable? Or was I miserable because I listened to pop music?" Based on the 1995 novel by British writer Nick Hornby, High Fidelity tells the tale of Rob Gordon, a compulsive list making, music obsessed record store owner from Chicago. A great difference between High Fidelity the novel and High Fidelity the motion picture is the location. The film changes the setting from London to Chicago; this deviation may push some who were fans of the book away. Following a break-up with his girlfriend Laura, Rob decides to ponder his all time top five break-ups of all time, exploring what went wrong in each relationship and the extent to which their demise was his fault. Music fandom is an essential part of the film. Rob owns a record store where he works...

shister_not 31.01.2009 · Read review
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Review of High Fidelity (DVD)

Musical Difference

Advantages: Some laughs and wittisms
Disadvantages: Format, weak in parts

...If I am honest here, I have to admit to being a bit disappointed by High Fidelity. Was this because I had been looking forward to watching it for a while and when I finally did get to see it was not what I expected? It is not that I disliked it, oh no. I enjoyed it a lot – but I found a few things that bugged me, a lot. I found and felt it could be better. I have not read the Nick Hornby book (on which this is based), so I cannot comment on whether it is as good as the book or not. But what I can say is that my immediate thoughts were that it should be British. True, the director is British, but the setting isn’t – so there. Perhaps the lead character Rob Gordon should have been played by an English man? ‘Boo hiss,’ I hear you cry. ‘You John Cusack hater you!’ Nope – I am NOT...

Borg 07.08.2002 · Read review
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Review of High Fidelity (DVD)

CHAMPIONSHIP VINYL LOSER LIFESTYLE

Advantages: Cusack, Black, the memories
Disadvantages: None

...Nick Hornby has written some great books, with High Fidelity certainly being one of them, but Hornby's books are quintessentially English, so there was certainly a fair amount of trepidation regarding how the book of London would be translated into the film of Chicago. Clearly prior knowledge of the book gives you a prejudiced view of life, but Stephen Frears' adaptation of the novel translates matters quite nicely, playing on the global virtue of love and relationships. The whole thing may be rooted pretty deeply in the world of vinyl junkiedom with Rob Gordon (played by the knowing and well schooled John Cusack) as the owner of the sort of indie record store which we all know and love so well (at least we used to, but these days they've been comprehensively displaced by the rise of the chain megastores like HMV, Our Price...

dave27 27.01.2002 · Read review
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Review of High Fidelity (DVD)