Top 5 Reasons I Loved High Fidelity
1. John Cusack. This is an actor that has made a career by just being a guy. A normal average guy with typical fears, worries and neurotic tendencies. This is his role. I can't think of another actor who could have played it. A guy who is an obsessive music geek. A guy who can't understand women. A guy who talks to the camera like its just a person in the room. Some critics have bashed this tactic as being stagey. Personally I loved it because as someone with more than a passing familiarity with the obsessive geek (fill in subject matter) mindset, I know I do this myself. And I don't even have a camera to talk to.
2. The musical moron twins. You probably know people just like this in real life. Barry is the utterly confident music snob played very well by Jack Black. He has an opinion on everything and his opinion is the right one. If it's not he's going to leave in a huff. Dick is quiet and socially awkward. The kind of guy who you don't dislike but occasionally makes you want to scream at the sight of, just based on that social awkwardness. He knows everything about music and will likely bore you to death with the sheer volume of trivia he can spout at you.
3. The Girlfriends. Most guys have had relationships with women like this and suffered similarly pathetic results. The beautiful exotic woman (Catherine Zeta-Jones) that makes you wonder why she's with you. The strange woman (Lili Taylor) that meshes with you because she shares your recent break up troubles. The girl you first kissed. The one who wouldn't let you get past first base eventually resulting in a break up. The quick fling. The woman you just feel comfortable with (Iben Hjejle) and you can just be yourself around. Most important is the fact that you can't understand any of them.
4. Geek culture. Groups of people who obsess about a particular subject, in this case music. The collecting of obscure items. The arguing over the minor details. The arguing over what things are best. The fact that people outside the culture can't understand you. The fact that you look down on those same people for their failure to embrace what you love.
5. Top 5 lists. The need to try and sort out in some strange order, the top five of anything. The top 5 most memorable break ups. The top 5 reasons to miss someone. The top five side one song one of a first album. These discussions are integral to the movie and the culture it portrays.
- John Shea
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