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Considering the fact that this is one of the films I've been looking forward to the most, Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist is very disappointing. Were it not for the great charm of its two leads (Michael Cera and Kat Dennings), this would be a completely disposable movie. Edge is completely absent from the script, the secondary characters and the subplots associated with them are tragically lame, and the biggest offense (which surprised me a lot) was the large amount of gross-out humor, particularly that involving the character of Caroline, played here by Ari Graynor. Especially disgusting, overused and unnecessary is the bit with the chewing gum which gets nastier every single time it comes up. The very worst scene, in terms of being horribly crass and unnecessary, is the one that takes place in the restroom at the train station - this scene is every bit as foul as the equally lame gags in the recent College.
Aaron Yoo has a role that is every bit as bland as those he's had in the several recent films in which he's played secondary characters (Disturbia, 21, The Wackness). I was glad that, at the start of the film, it looked like things were going to take a different path in terms of the approach to "gay jokes," but soon enough, the script turns to old-standbys and hardly manages to squeak out anything for comedic effect. Even Jay Baruchel, whom I enjoyed last year in his supporting role in Knocked Up and in his lead role in I'm Reed Fish (and he was also, along with Robert Downey, Jr, one of the things that kept Tropic Thunder from being totally bad) comes off poorly here, in a completely unfunny turn as Norah's sort-of ex-boyfriend. As Tris (the girl that Nick is hung up on), Alexis Dziena does well at playing the hateful bitch without going over-the-top, but sadly, towards the end, the script basically forces her into lame territory that couldn't be avoided by even the best of young actresses.
So, how come I feel so negatively about this film, yet I'm giving it a 5, one point away from a positive review? Two reasons: Michael Cera and Kat Dennings. They are both excellent young actors, and they both ooze loads of charisma. They definitely deserved a better film, and though Cera is the better of the two, Dennings more than holds her own. Many are suggesting that the final, sweet moments in the film in which the title characters are alone together have a Before Sunrise feel to them. I could never agree with that, especially since, were it not for The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Before Sunrise would be my all-time favorite film. Yes, the final moments between the two leads in Nick & Norah are a delight, and certainly the best part of the film, but they can't compare to the monumental brilliance of the whole of Before Sunrise. Jessie and Celine are still, far and away, the best on-screen romance I've witnessed. The final moments between the title characters in Nick and Norah are good, as I just said, but there's not enough of them, and the film cuts too much from these moments to the unwarranted annoyance of the supporting characters.
Last year, Cera starred in two films, both of which ended up on my top 10 list for 2007. Needless to say, Nick & Norah won't be anywhere near my top 10 for this year, but there's still no question that this guy is immensely talented. Yes, many will say "but he plays the same geeky, nice guy in every movie he's in!" And that's true. But that's not a bad thing because he plays that role extremely well (whereas several young actors who also play that role in every movie they're in NEVER do it well). I think that that reasoning can be used to criticize, say, Cameron Diaz, who does play the same character in nearly every film (she's the "crazy, party-loving girl" in There's Something About Mary, The Sweetest Thing, In Her Shoes, The Holiday and What Happens in Vegas, and I'm probably even missing some), and it's always the same washed-over, lame performance. Cera, on the other hand, is perfect every time. Every half-smile, every time he gets flustered or nervous, he does a spot-on job, so I can't complain. He's just too good for this movie.
Dennings is a relatively unknown actress, but she starred in this year's earlier Charlie Bartlett, and I happened to think that she was one of the few factors that kept that movie from utter mediocrity. Incidentally, Charlie Bartlett and Nick & Norah are pretty much equals in terms of quality; neither is bad, but neither is a particularly successful movie about teenagers. So, she's probably just getting started and taking roles so that she can eventually move on to better things, and I trust that she will. I mean, it's saying a lot that she's starred in two so-so movies this year, yet has managed to impress in both, so I'm really looking forward to what she may do next. Norah is a very interesting character, and Dennings gives her a lot of life, which is very welcome in what is an otherwise lifeless film.
I find it curious that so much praise is going towards the film's soundtrack. There's actually a lot less music in the film than I thought there would be. We certainly don't get what the title promises, that's for sure. Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist is a wildly unoriginal film, lacking pizzazz in all the places where it needs it, and resorting to shockingly crude humor (and worst of all, it does so repetitively - I honestly felt bad for Ari Graynor and the embarrassment she submitted herself to for a paycheck). You'll walk out of this one wishing the title had been limited to the two protagonists' names and that it had actually focused only on their story. Or even better, have Richard Linklater helm the whole thing... now THAT would have surely made this film infinitely good.
5/10
