Nick And Norah's Infinite Playlist Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES PLOT SUMMARY
It's been three weeks, two days, and 23 hours since Tris broke up with Nick. And now here she is at his gig, with a new guy. How could she have moved on so fast? This begins the night of Nick, Norah and Manhattan. The night of stripping nuns, hotel ice rooms, Russian food, psychotic ex-boyfriends and lovingly trashy ex-girlfriends. It's the night of Julio and Salvatore. The night of holding hands and writing songs and singing in the rain. It's a night they'll never forget.
| Michael Cera | Nick |
| Kat Dennings | Norah |
| Aaron Yoo | Thom |
| Rafi Gavron | Dev |
| Ari Graynor | Caroline |
| Alexis Dziena | Tris |
| Jonathan B. Wright | Beefy Guy |
| Zachary Booth | Gary |
| Jay Baruchel | Tal |
| Cully Symington | Bishop Allen |
| Jeremy Haines | Randy |
| Peter Sollett |
6.90 out of 10 (3490 votes)
Visitor Reviews
Booooo!!!
posted on 20 Aug 2009This movie is terrible. It does have a great indie soundtrack, and the characters are OK. However the plot has been done better 100 times before. I am assuming this is getting better reviews the "BRAVEHEART" because...... HMS, actually, I have no idea. This movie is really terrible. THere's lots of unfunny gay jokes... most critics are gay too so maybe thats why people liked it. I can't think of any other reason. This movies was funnier when it was called forgetting sarah marshall. The id from superbad, whom I normally find funny is annoying. The whole time I was like... would you grow a set. The monotone pussy voice was a bit overdone. The "ugly" girls is really hot, so that helped. I wouldn't waste any money on this movie, unless you can rent it at redbox like me for $1. Booooooooooooooooooo!!!!Once again good soundtrack! Thanks, Bye, Sarah
Predictable time spent with nice people
posted on 18 Aug 2009There are no surprises in this teen romcom. Nearly all romcoms follow the formula of the two protagonists not realising that they are meant for each other until near the end, and this is no exception.However, it does have several things going for it. One is the unusual skeleton, which is to do with various musical matters - going to concerts, and trying to get to a secret concert (does New York really have live amplified rooftop concerts at 5am?). Another is Ari Graynor, who delivers one of the most delightful screen drunks I can recall. And the third is the screen personae of Michael Cera and Kat Dennings as Nick and Norah, who are eventually drawn together by shared musical tastes.Michael Cera is very good at projecting vulnerability, very nearly easing into "loser" territory, but with too strong a sense of self worth for that to apply fully. Kat Dennings, with whom I am not familiar, plays well, but comes over as a little too adult given the school hall sequence early on (ditto Alexis Dziena, albeit not quite to the same extent).Notwithstanding how slight this film is, I enjoyed it a lot. There are a number of solid laughs (mostly courtesy of Ari Graynor's Caroline) and one gross-out moment - and it really is gross, people in the cinema were groaning! What I enjoyed rather less was the bitch sitting in front and to the left of me who kept switching her mobile phone on every five minutes - it was like having a torch shining in my eyes. So for anyone reading this who tends to do this in cinemas, please don't. It's very selfish.Sermon over.
An endearing audiovisual trip.
posted on 08 Aug 2009Nick and Norah are obviously kindred spirits but as it goes in a movie universe, anyone could see that but themselves. We follow them on a past midnight adventure through the streets of the Big Apple as they try to find their favorite band's hidden concert venue. Along the way they both run into their ex's, Nick's uses him to boost her self esteem when she feels insecure, Norah's uses her to get his demo released by her big-shot daddy music producer. Playing full blown secondary characters: the backdrop of nightly New York skylines and her twinkly lights and a soft-indie soundtrack weaving the scenes together. The best scenes involve a sound mixing board lighting up from loudening moans, an empty (but cozy) recording studio and the tasteful absence of the camera eye.There is one scene her which I felt detracted a little bit from the enchanting, charming experience that was watching NANIP, namely Caroline's regurgitation and subsequent digging for her gum in the toilet. I felt very strongly that should have been cut, as it is not funny nor of any interest to anyone. Luckily the rest of the film turned out to be tasteful. Speaking of tasteful things, Kat Dennings's Norah really is one of the more complex and authentic characters you'll find in rom-coms. The talented young actress did very well in highlighting both Norah's insecurity as her headstrong and passionate side. Two characteristics most performers would make indistinguishable on the screen, while they are fundamentally different feelings though they are often similar in symptoms, if you will. That requires subtlety. Another subtly different performance is Michael Cera as Nick. He is second to none at playing the awkward, endearingly naive teenager. Still, Nick shows a more brooding, artistic, deep side. I really admire the restraint Cera brings to his roles, and in NANIP he surely brings more to rave about to the table than ever before. In an era where most of the major movie critics disregard audiovisual qualities and favor reviewing almost solely based on scripts, NANIP comes in danger of being brushed under the mat as unambitious, trivial even. Yet what is so trivial about a slice of life musical experience? Isn't capturing the teenage condition what coming-of-age movies should really aim at? Now that the movie year has come to a close, NANIP sticks out as one of the most original romantic movies of 2008 and I hope to see more similar movies in the years to come.
The Picture of The Quintessential Teen Years
posted on 31 Jul 2009I went to see Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist after bugging my mom for quite a while. I was so intent on seeing the movie that the upcoming movies seemed like torture. I never read the book but the movie was awesome in itself. The adorkable Michael Cera from Juno played Nick, a loner that gotten broken up with his longtime GF Tris (Alexis Dzien) and keeps making mixes for her. Tris throws them out but her "friend" Norah saves them from Metal Hell. She listens to the mixes and thinks the unknown maker is her soulmate. That's all I'll reveal.Onto my opinion, I honestly think N & N's Infinite Playlist shouldn't be in the chick flick genre. I'll admit that I'm a fan of cheesy romantic comedies but this is totally different. I wouldn't say it's a love story because in a normal chick flick the characters are introduced right away and from some unfathomable magic I don't understand they click and are instantly in love. The whole "Would you be my boyfriend for five minutes?" had me laughing my butt off and I hate to admit it but I'm jealous of Kat.There are lot of words to describe this. Alexis Dzien plays the role of "bitchy slut" perfectly. Ari Graynor scenes are funny too.The part where those random people asked them for a ride because Nick's car looked like a cab and then treated Nick and Norah to an all too graphic make out sesh...EW! All in all BEST MOVIE EVA!If possible, I would've given it an 1000/10!
Nick and Noras Infinite Playlist
posted on 31 Jul 2009Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist The story revolves around one night, which is somewhat uncommon in movies. We travel from early night, to early morning with characters Nick and Nora, no last name simply just Nick and Nora. Recently dumped Nick, deals with the heartache of unrequited love. Witty Nora intercedes in Nicks life by bluntly making out with him. Little was it known to either character that Nick was the mystery man making the lot of mixed CD's that fed Nora's musical soul. Rendezvousing with the excitement of New York City night life, two teenagers deal with ex's, scavenger for a drunken miscreant, ache to find the momentous band 'Where's Fluffy?', share a questionable piece of bubblegum, and trek with their new tumultuous relationship.This movie was strictly comedic. No logical thought was needed to view this movie. In the exact opposite, intellect would probably hinder the movie viewers enjoyment of this seeming less silly tale. Mostly filled with dumb jokes, I was pleasantly satisfied not to hear a single fart joke or see a single bare bottom; as most teen comedy movies do searching for the pitiful laughter of the dim adolescent mind. I did think that the queer band mates, as sinfully hilarious as they were, was borderline pathetic. So to anyone searching for a deeper meaning I caution to stay away.Overall, I believed it to be a horrendous knock off of American Graffiti. Although both Nick and Nora were college bound appearing to be in the same ball park as 'AG' it was closer, stylistically, to American Pie. Of course they should not, and in this piece, will not be judged by the same standards considering that one movie was proposed to share the story of a generation, whilst the other was a mechanism of comedic relief.To get more personally into depth about the cast selection, it was mainly typed cast. Michael Cera will always play the dorky cute guy that be by the name of Paulie Bleaker or Nick. Kat Dennings forever stands as the misunderstood hottie of our generation. The rest of the cast would be labeled as 'new Hollywood' seeing as to how none of them stared in anything remotely profound for the general audience to take notice. This will not be a breakout role for any of the stars of the movie. It would see clear that not Michael nor Kat took this movie thinking "I smell an Oscar nomination!" The traveling gum is what really stuck out to me. I kept pondering what that disgusting chewed objects purpose was in the movie. It is preposterous to think that writers would show close ups without it being significant. So I thought of every feasible theme that gum could hold. Representation of both characters in a impossible to eradicate world? Played-out views of love, easily transmitted from person to person? The real location of 'Where's Fluffy?' At the end of an hour and a half's time, I found that no such theme existed. All some form of cosmic joke to those of us who enjoy elegantly crafted innuendo. Like I said before do not come to the theaters wishful of bringing anything out of that movie more than a smile on your face.The greener grass was easily the conversational lines transferred over the night. Personal favorites of mine consisted of "I love you so much, its retarded", "wake up, bitch!", "you don't need to yell. It's not in a train station. It's a tiny little car" and "do you think the worlds ready for fire Jews?" These new lines will be posted up on blog walls and myspace pages soon.Most of the scenes I thought were appropriate. However, was the scene in the recording studio necessary? Towards the beginning of the movie, discussion was held about the beautiful magnitude of holding hands. Yet later in the movie Nick and Nora have sex proving that holding hands is not the greatest attribute of a relationship. What is with the condescending sex scene? For me to believe that this relationship would be one full of love and long term happiness would mean to take things slow. The fact that they had sex knowing each other for less than twenty four hours proves their relationship to be more of a sprint. They narrow down the reasoning to be that they were 'musical soul mates.' Yes that's spreading a good message to young America.A few seconds were incoherent because the laughter from the audience was held a bit longer than the length of the joke. The man sitting directly across from me was at the edge of his seat for a good majority of the movie. Give it an 'aye' ? This movie is a must see. Must see in theaters? No. More like must see in general. At some point of your life, maybe a schedule free night, this movie might enter your life. At the end of the movie I exited nine dollars and fifty cents poorer. Was it all worth it? Given the choice of two Starbucks coffees or a ticket to Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist I chose the legal caffeine stimulants. Only one thought can describe this movie, join the ride.
These kind of movies
posted on 21 Jul 2009I think are almost a revolution, you know? you have all these comedy movies that are so ridiculous that they're funny but these kind of movies, have a more realistic quality to them. when you see these types of movies they make you laugh because of how realistic they are, it feels as though all the jokes in the movies are ones that you could hear without writers or scripts, they feel like the scenarios could happen in real life and i think it's the best type of comedy. sure we all love the stupid ridiculous movies. but i personally find these more realistic style movies to be the best type of comedy because you can relate more. I am so anxious to go see this movie.
teens dating and breaking up...
posted on 11 Jul 2009is what this movie is about. Nick goes to play with his band and spots his ex, Tris, there with a guy. Norah knows Tris and in order to not seem like a loser picks a guy at random and kisses him saying it's her boyfriend. Well, she picks Nick whom still seems stuck on Tris. Norah loves the CD mixes that Nick has made for Tris, so he gives her a ride. But, Norah's friend, drunk Caroline, goes missing, so they are tracking her down throughout much of the film. Tris starts wanting Nick back because she is jealous. And also, Norah must contend with her ex. All the while the two are also trying to find out the mystery place their favorite band, Where's Fluffy, is playing.Two problems I had with the movie were first Caroline because the actress looks like she's 30 to me and she is supposed to be a high school senior. Second, they make Norah out to look cheap at the end because she's a teen and just met a guy and lets him do "some things." I don't think that needed to be in a teen film.FINAL VERDICT: It was OK. I liked the lead actors and they made it more interesting since there really wasn't a whole lot to the plot.
I walked out on this movie. It was that bad.
posted on 09 Jul 2009I walked out of this movie. It was that bad. Watching this movie was a little above getting a root canal.The only good part might have been the drunk friend and her tainted toilet gum. If there was any chemistry between the two main characters in this "romantic" comedy, I guess I failed to see it. They could have replaced Michael Cera with a potato and you wouldn't notice. As for mopey Kat Dennings, well, besides the fact that she can't act, we all know why she was cast in this movie. Hey it's the big fat elephant in the room!If I were 13 years old I might have found this film c00l, not to insult the intelligence of 13 year olds, but I wouldn't be surprised if any other audience range with some sense of reality found this film to be a complete piece of sht!
Loving Michael Cera
posted on 09 Jul 2009Just returned from a day a the Toronto Film Festival and the World Premiere of Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist. Once again great performance from Ontario's Michael Cera. Was the movie perfect? No. Did I love it? Yep. At the Q&A after the movie the MC prefaced the questions by telling us they wouldn't take any questions that began with 'Michael we love you. We'll take that as a given.' And she was right, we love him.There were cringe worthy moments, in that, they were moments that we've all had that we wish we; and there were laugh out loud moments. The cast was great and I will definitely be checking out the soundtrack.
An Unlikely Film of Soul...
posted on 07 Jul 2009In this age of super-broad comedies and sexed-up teen films, there comes Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist. It's all-too-easy to groan at the thought of sitting down to a high school film these days, yet 'Nick & Norah' attempts to make you rethink that. It tries to achieve that so rare of an achievement; it tries to make a genuine and honest teen comedy.It succeeds.Michael Cera, that king of adorable dorkiness, stars as Nick, the sole straight member of a queer-rock band. Kat Dennings plays Norah, a rocking rich chick who is just as unattracted to teenage pettiness as the rest of us are. These two meet through a random encounter and together set out to try and find the secret show of the aptly titled rock band Where's Fluffy? They cruise the town like grown adults, yet underneath both are incredibly naive. They argue, fight, flirt, and, yes, fall in love; what makes the film great is how mature and honest a relationship they create. We know from the beginning that it is the destiny of Nick and Norah to get together, yet when they do it is nothing short of soulful. With a wonderfully witty script along for the ride, it's apparent that this is much more than your average teenage comedy. 7/10 stars! Jay Addison
Infinite Playlist keeps a fresh tune
posted on 05 Jul 2009Infinite Playlist keeps a fresh tune By: Morgan GrodeckiNick And Norah's Infinite Playlist – Movie ReviewStaring Michael Cera (Juno) and Kat Dennings (Charlie Bartlett), Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist – which will be referred to as Infinite Playlist from here on – is a light-on-it's feet comedy that provides a nice break from the Judd Appatow driven comedies of the summer. Not that the two types of comedies aren't equal in their own right, it is merely refreshing to be witness to an Aww-inspiring moment, as opposed to being forced to shield your eyes from view while the rest of your audience groans in disgust. Following our two protagonists, Infinite Playlist revolves around Nick and Nora, two awkwardly-realistic (or realistically-awkward) teens in Manhattan. Nick, a guitarist for a Queer-Core band The Jerk-Offs, and Norah, the average-Jane who knows nothing of fashion, meet throughout a night on the town, bumping into one another more than once. Both having their own inner demons, they slowly begin to realize just how alike they are as dusk turns to night, and night to dawn.Throughout the film, we are shown Nick's laundry-list of insecurities, perfected in a way only Michael Cera can manage. Channelling his similar characters from previous films, Cera stumbles over words, shies away from confrontation, and wallows in agonizing pain from the break-up with his ex-girlfriend (whom he would never manage to get in real life). Mirrored and embodied in a self-conscious, indie-music listening teen is Norah, played perfectly by budding actress Kat Dennings. Although she is playing a role much younger then her 27 year old self, Dennings is able to reach back and pull her childhood forth, and focus on just what it felt like to be alone and scared. The supporting cast consists of cheerleaders, wash-outs, and flaming gays, who are sure to put a light although feminine smile on any viewers faces.A Juno-reminiscent movie, viewers are almost forcefully fed an array of Indie music from various bands that are sure to be on every 15 year old girl's iPod within a month of its release, each of them claiming that they knew the band "before they were cool!". While the movie tries it's hardest to stay within the realm of a teenage reality, the viewers can't help but be yanked away from the movie by certain "Wait…what?" moments as the plot falls to pieces time and time again. Luckily for the well-meant movie, the overall charm and atmosphere manage to keep viewers enthralled and entertained enough for these trivial errors to be over-looked almost entirely.Director Peter Sollett (Raising Victor Vargas) is by no means an artistically talented director, but one does not go into Infinite Playlist expecting to be enthralled by beautiful horizons and jaw-dropping scenes of a beach at dawn. You go to this movie to enjoy the warm, fuzzy feeling that you experience as Nick and Norah slowly bicker back and forth as to whether The Cure is a good band or not. An all-around enjoyable movie, this is sure to be a success with viewers and critics alike. Here's hoping it doesn't get overblown like a certain Ellen Page movie we all know.3 ½ out f 5 Stars
Romantic American Pie?
posted on 27 Jun 2009It wasn't a bad movie, but it felt like an artificial construct. The indie rock backdrop with no real music behind it, the cardboard characters including the dorky but good looking nice guy, the bitchy ex, the gay best friends and the pristine new girl, the New Yorkish set. I mean, wth? You can have real romance without resorting to some reinvention of the high-school drama.Overall it was OK to watch, not good, not bad. I would have loved to see an original and smart romantic movie be it even a comedy, but this was not it. I rate it completely and utterly average. The bitchy ex was hot, though.
A great throwback to when teen films let its characters just feel natural and real ... Juno, eat your heart out!
posted on 15 Jun 2009The teen romance genre is no stranger to formula. Often, the sequence of events will go: Audience meets boy, audience meets girl, boy and girl meet each other, and before you know it the sparks are flying and they're on the collision course of love. A thousand times this story has been told, in every genre, not just teen romance, and yet there's something innocent and magical about it in its simplicity it that keeps us coming back.Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist does not stray from the tried and tested plot arcs of its predecessors, but while the plot is expectedly familiar for the teen romance genre, what makes Nick and Norah stand out is how natural and real its characters feel. In a sense, Nick and Norah is a complete antidote to Cera's last film, Juno. As much as that film went overboard with attempts at wit and unrealistically setting up the characters for snark and pop culture humor, Nick and Norah plays the dialog and interaction completely genuine and real, director Peter Sollett simply lets his characters breathe and be the regular, real teenagers and human beings they are. The humor in the film comes from not forced wit and jokes, but only the natural conversation and glances that comes with youth and early romance, essentially what you'd find yourself laughing at in real life. Nick and Norah is probably the closest any film has gotten since Dazed and Confused to replicating the social teen dialog and conversational atmosphere.Cera and Dennings, although both limited actors, bring natural charm and energy to their roles, an despite the romance arc being intentionally predictable from the beginning, manage to create a level of believability and sweetness to their courtship through the night. By the end of the film when they do cultivate their romance, it's hard not to find yourself happy that they did. The real star of the film comedically however, is Ari Graynor as Caroline, almost pitch perfectly playing the puking drunk girl we all knew and loved from our high school past. Never slipping into total absurdity or farce, Graynor's lost and drunk encounters throughout the night, including a certain piece of gum, an encounter at a train station, and of course, the toilet, provide the biggest laughs of the film.Peter Sollett shoots the film in a fairly low-budget, natural way, which benefits the naturalistic feel of the acting and dialog. For the most part however, his contribution lies in the interaction with the actors over attempting anything artistically behind the camera. The film doesn't truly get going until 20 minutes in, as Nick and Norah aren't as interesting without each other, and Caroline isn't as interesting when she isn't drunk. However, as soon as the two title characters begin riding in Nick's Yuma and the script begins to unfurl the pitch perfect nervous conversational techniques between the two, the film takes off.Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist is a film where the storyline may not be new and the end is foreseeable from miles away, but nevertheless, like a fairy tale you've heard many times before, you can't help but enjoy yourself along the way once again. As a nice throwback to teen romances like Say Anything or Sixteen Candles when the characters were allowed to feel real and as they are, Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist is a great and charming addition to the genre.Review written for Worldofkj.com
Where's the Best Picture Nomination? Juno got one.
posted on 15 Jun 2009I gave this a 10 out of 10, not because it deserved it, but because its extremely ridiculous. Many parts of this movie make almost no sense, I was confused from the first second when Michael Sera starts talking into a phone that didn't even have a cord attached to it. Also how did he photoshop all those pics of him and his girlfriend, dang, talent!!! Michael Cera or Sarah, or Serra, plays Nick, Nick has no friends, except his bandmates who are not good friends at all. They try to hook him up with Norah as a practical joke when they should be helping him get back with his hot ex TRIS. So they try to set up Nick and Norah, but Norah starts yelling at him, harassing him, threatens to smack him. She gets out of the car, but then finds out that Nick's bad friends tried to kidnap her friend, so then they have to go find her friend. Her friend is OK though, she finds a guy in the train station with a turkey sandwich.Also she likes gum from the toilet, DO NOT ASK ME WHY, do not. Because I don't know. Anyways Norah's got this ex boyfriend, whos is actually probably her real boyfriend, but she says ex because she knows that Michael Cera is an up and coming actor whos probably got a few G's in the bank. So she sticks with Nick only after finding out her other boyfriend is using her to get his CD distributed, selling cds? no, ONLINE now a days you caveman.Ultimately Nick and Norah is a movie about two people with no personality, who bond over the fact that neither one of them is even slightly interesting. Also they bond over the fact that they don't look good together, have clashing personalities, and would never work in the land called actual reality.At certain points you will think hey this is a good movie, but in the end you'll be left only wondering what exactly it was you just saw, was there a message? was the message nothingness prevails?
Not the Most Original Movie, but a nice story
posted on 13 Jun 2009The plot, Nick (Michael Cera) has been dumped by his girlfriend of six months Tris (Alexis Dziena) and has made mix CD's for her. Tris doesn't like them, doesn't want anything to do with them, and simply throws them away. Norah (Kat Dennings) picks up one that was trashed and is interested. Nick also is in a band with a few of his friends, and is at a gig that Norah is at. Norah in an attempt to make Tris jealous tells Nick to act like her boyfriend for a few minutes. Tris didn't seem too convinced it was believable. Caroline (Ari Graynor) gets way too wasted at this gig, and the band members are supposed to take her home. Along the way (the entire movie except the 1st 5 minutes is shot at night), Caroline escapes, and the band, Nick and Nora set out on a quest to find her. Also, everyone is determined to find one band, and tries to find the clues to figure out the location of where they are playing.Which woman does Nick want? Is Norah even remotely interested in Nick? What does "infinite playlist" really mean? This movie is 85 minutes not counting credits, it gets right to the point, and moves at a great pace. What works I think is the chemistry between all of the characters. For the record, I disliked "Superbad", I didn't think it was funny (I didn't laugh once), but Michael Cera does a good job with this. As I heard some people leaving the screening, one word kept coming out, "cute". I agree with this. It is funny, it is romantic, and although it isn't the most original idea in the world, it is well done. I would consider seeing this again, maybe to catch a few little things, but just for something different.
An enjoyable diversion.
posted on 11 Jun 2009There are any number of reasons why "Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist" will be frequently compared to 2007's indie hit "Juno", chief among them the presence of Michael Cera, the male lead in that film, again opposite a peppy brunette who isn't quite sure what she wants in life (neither is he, for that matter). While not in the same league as "Juno" in terms of character or story (though possessed of a far less annoying soundtrack), it is worthwhile for anyone looking for an entertaining film about teens.The titular Nick is the depressed guitarist for a queercore band (meaning, all the other members are gay), and thoroughly depressed over being dumped by his girlfriend Tris (Alexis Dzienza); at the urging of his bandmates, he goes to their latest gig, largely because he has learned that his favourite band ('Where's Fluffy?') will be playing at an undisclosed location (which seems counterproductive to selling, to me, but what do I know about hipster music?). Norah, meanwhile, is a nominal friend of Tris' who has never met Nick, but knows of him through the CDs he is continually making and sending to Tris ("Road to Closure, volume 12" the most recent example), which she picks up after Tris discards them. A chance encounter leads to them meeting cute and pretending to be together, sparking a multiplicity of sideplots involving a jealous Tris, Norah's drunk friend Caroline (Ari Gaynor, who deserves some kind of prize for playing one of the least appealing drunks in recent memory), and, of course, the question of "Fluffy".This is the sort of production that (like "Before Sunrise") hinges on the main actors' performances and chemistry, and Michael Cera and Kat Dennings succeed wonderfully in that regard. Cera, as most reviewers have noted, is basically playing the same character that he played in "Juno", "Arrest Development", and "Superbad"; it's a popular persona, one that he has honed to smile-inducing precision, and, in his defence, he is nowhere near the first actor to develop a schtick (indeed, most of the greats refined a persona and either played to or against type). Cera might try something different in the near future just to give a better idea of his rang (serial killer!), but I won't hold that against him. Kat Dennings, meanwhile, strikes a very individual note; Norah is extremely well-characterized. Dennings does a good job of showing her uncertainties and conveying her frustrated attitudes towards the still-hung-up Nick. The rest of the cast does a good job in small parts. The crew makes the New York nightlife look tremendously appealing.Recommended as a light entertainment.
John Hughes Meets Kevin Smith And Wow! - One of the better date movies ever---
posted on 09 Jun 2009I've seen a ton of romantic comedies, some are good, some are awful; very few are really really good....You guessed it... wow! Did we love this: smart, dippy, cutting, funny in all shades of funny, sweet romantic with a down low low-fi edge, up to date and even occasionally over the top this was far and away our favorite romantic comedy of the year and I'm giving it a solid ten in its genre.Need to go on a date movie? This is your bucket of chicken - I promise you'll leave feeling lighter and curly wurly.Very well directed by Peter Sollett it really brings an affection to its making and he's a name to look out for if you ask us...All in all kind of our bag through and through... go see...
Cute but forgettable
posted on 05 Jun 2009Michael Cera plays Nick, a rock musician who has recently been dumped by his girlfriend (Alexis Dziena). The rest of his band forces him into the arms of a beautiful girl, Norah (Kat Dennings) who has showed up to their show. The film takes place over one night in New York City, and we watch the two kids fall for each other while some hip music plays over the soundtrack. The two leads are quite charming. We've seen Cera do this same role before, so Dennings is the real surprise here. She's stunning, and this movie's sure to make her a big star. The casting is quite off in this movie, though. It's the kind of movie where Norah is frequently chastised for being a nerd and ugly and sexually inexperienced, but she never comes off as such. Dziena comes off as far too sexy to have been dating Cera in any life. Jay Baruchel shows up as Norah's on-again-off-again boyfriend, and, if you're familiar with his career anyway, he's way too dorky and likable to be playing any sort of villain. Or even anyone cool. I did like the three gay guys who comprised the rest of Cera's band. Aaron Yoo is quite good. He was also in the underrated film Rocket Science last year.
Surprisingly funny
posted on 03 Jun 2009I had a small feeling about Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist that it was going to be a decent hit, with the popularity of Juno, not to compare, but this movie had similarities. This movie has my main pet peeve with the younger generation of today, the people who are the "I heard this band before you did so I have better taste than you do" type of mentality. The independent rock music movies are just not my thing, so I wasn't too excited to see this movie, but when some friends invited me to go see it with them, I had low expectations and actually ended up having a great time watching Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist. It's honestly one of the better comedies that is out in theaters right now, although I have to admit I feel so dirty watching all these horny teenage girls, I'm a girl, and it just made me feel uncomfortable, this is how teenagers act? Scary; anyways, the story is really fun and gives you a great time laughing.Nick is having a hard time after his rough break up with super slutty Tris, he continues to mix CD's for her that her fellow student, Norah listens too and enjoys it. By chance Norah meets Nick not knowing that it's Tris's ex and says that he's her boyfriend to show Tris that she's no prude. But when Norah learns that Nick is the ex, Nick also won't shut up about Tris, but they find out throughout the night that maybe they're musical soul mates and can really dig each other's vibe. But in the mean time with their crazy friends, they try to find their favorite band that is hidden in New York.Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist is definitely worth the look, I would say that it's worth full price. The only thing I have a problem with is our leading man, Michael Cera, this guy is a nice actor, but he hasn't really expanded himself into different roles, he's been playing the same character since Superbad to be honest. But I'm seeing Kat Dennings more and more, I'm enjoying her presence on screen, she's very lovely and has potential. But the person who definitely stole the show was Norah's drunk friend, Caroline played by Ari Graynor, she was just beyond hilarious and stole all the laughs. Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist is a great new teen comedy, though I really hope teenagers don't act like this... if they do... oh, I'm praying that our future is going to be alright.7/10
Teens will appreciate it, but it is doubtful anyone else will
posted on 24 Aug 2009Nick (Michael Cera) is a bit of a mope, being freshly dumped by the girl of his dreams, Tris (Alexis Dziena), and is the only straight guy in an all gay band called 'The Jerkoffs'. Norah (Kat Dennings) is one of those lonely souls, searching for the right person and pines after the Tris' stalkerish ex, who she has never met. By chance, they meet at a club the band is playing at, and then begin a night's adventure searching for a secret concert being put on by their favourite band, Where's Fluffy.It may not sound like much on paper, but after seeing the trailer for Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, I was kind of hoping for something that would be more than your typical teen flick. And with Cera coming fresh off Superbad and Juno, I could have only hoped that my own hopes would not go unanswered.Of course, I may have been expecting too much. From the moment the movie starts, it is clearly aiming itself directly for a young teen audience. Yes, the whole idea of being able to search for this mythical band until all hours of the night seems like a bit of a stretch for a normal teen with curfews, but the immature and inexperienced attitude it took about relationships, life and hard drinking seem heavily seated in the realm of a young teenager's fantasies. This is the type of movie I would have been hard pressed to not have enjoyed five or ten years ago, and I imagine most young people feel the same way.But looking at it as an adult, the film only makes me feel older. It has a very nostalgic aura about it, and a type of innocence that only a person in high school could appreciate. It lacks the real world implications of Juno (or even Dennings' own turn in The 40-Year-Old Virgin), and lacks the all around appeal of Superbad, or even seminal teen flicks like The Breakfast Club or Rebel Without a Cause. So how can one who has experienced the life of a teen, appreciate it when they have moved past that stage in life? Should it not have even made a sheer attempt at being able to be accessed by more than one demographic? One problem it has is a lack of focus. In 90 minutes, the filmmakers seem to want to throw every sort of issue a 17-year-old might face, from sex, to making adult decisions, to relationships, to understanding life, into a subplot for the main characters to face. And unfortunately, these two characters are not written in a way that makes them able to deal with all of these things. Yes, the dialogue between the two is incredibly awkward, but both Cera and Dennings seem quite able to play it into something that still sounds natural. But this comes at the expense of never quite understanding the full motivations of either character, and merely having a small idea of where either is coming from. Sure, there are glimmers of issues either faces (Dennings' Norah seems to have an orgasm problem, in one very out-of-place subplot), but never more than a hint. By the end of the film, I was still attempting to totally grasp how these two lost souls managed to find each other in the first place (other than for the sake of a fantastical teen romance).What is worse is that the supporting characters have a bad habit of getting in the way of the two main characters' story. There is an ongoing bit about trying to find Norah's drunk friend Caroline (Ari Graynor), but every scene she has just seems forced and merely placed as a means of padding out a movie that feels too long already. Much the same goes for Nick's gay bandmates Thom (Aaron Yoo) and Dev (Rafi Gavron). Sure they get the most poignant and hilarious moments in the film (alongside their gay friend who is credited merely as "Beefy Guy", and is played by Jonathan B. Wright), but their importance to the film seems a bit skewed. Taking away the fact that their being gay feels more like a gimmick than anything else, all three just seem to have little bearing on the film's events other than to drop hints of wisdom and help search for Caroline and Where's Fluffy. Jay Baruchel, fresh from Tropic Thunder, does okay in a small role as Norah's on and off boyfriend, but he does not get nearly enough screen time to make an impression.It seems the only person who is right on the money is Dziena. She plays the manipulative and spoiled ex-girlfriend to great effect, and seems to be the only person who wants to be taken seriously by all the non-teens watching the movie. She takes great pleasure inflicting pain on Nick, and her brazen control-freak chemistry with Cera is a particular joy to watch. Sure Cera basically ends up playing the same shay and nervously introverted character he became famous for last year, but Dziena's extroverted, over-the-top performance contrasts it so well that Cera almost comes off as being better than he actually is here.I think with a little more focus on appealing to all ages instead of just teens, Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist could have truly soared as a film. As it stands, it has the makings of a good movie, but not the proper creative output. More development on the main characters, and less scenes with the supporting ones could have only helped make this film great. At least it packs a hell of a good soundtrack.6/10.