Nick Hornby's popular novel makes the shift from London to Chicago in this Hollywood adaptation from the writing team responsible for GROSSE POINT BLANK. John Cusack stars as Rob,... more
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High Fidelity [2000]
Transplanted from England to the not-so-mean streets of Chicago, the screen adaptation of
... more
Nick Hornby's cult-classic novel High Fidelity emerges unscathed from its Americanisation, idiosyncrasies intact, thanks to John Cusack's inimitable charm and a n...
High Fidelity [2000]
Transplanted from England to the not-so-mean streets of Chicago, the screen adaptation of
... more
Nick Hornby's cult-classic novel High Fidelity emerges unscathed from its Americanisation, idiosyncrasies intact, thanks to John Cusack's inimitable charm and a n...
High Fidelity
It has been said often enough that baby boomers are a television generation, but High
... more
Fidelity reminds that in a way they are the record-album generation as well. This hilarious novel is obsessed with music; Hornby's narrator is an early thirtysomething bloke who runs a London record store. He sells albums recorded the old-fashioned way--on vinyl--and is having a tough time making other transitions as well, specifically to adulthood. The book is in one sense a love story, both sweet and interesting; most entertaining, though, are the hilarious arguments over arcane matters of pop music. --Christine Buttery
High Fidelity
The film adaptation of Nick Hornby's High Fidelity was always going to need a killer
... more
soundtrack: the novel, after all, is about the owner of Championship Vinyl, a specialist record shop that specialises in berating customers whose taste isn't refined enough. John Cusack and co. have done a bang-up job (Cusack not only stars; he also co-produced), assembling a list of accessible favourites from artists old and new, obscure and (gasp!) popular. Alongside lesser-known classics from the likes of Bob Dylan, the Velvet Underground, Barry White, Stevie Wonder, the Kinks and Aretha Franklin (an impressive list in itself!), there are classics-to-be from modern critical faves such as The Beta Band, Smog and Stereolab. In fact, there's only one genuine hit--The Jam's "A Town Called Malice"--and it's neatly matched up with "You're Gonna Miss Me" from the proto-psychedelic garage rockers The Thirteenth Floor Elevators. (Obscure trivia fact: the Elevators' are best-known for vocalist Roky Erickson, who underwent shock treatment and never was the same again.) There's also an impassioned version of "Let's Get It On" by Jack Black, who plays one of the store clerks in the film, but also has a cult following in the States for his spoof band, Tenacious D. True musos will debate the merits of the soundtrack endlessly (why not Otis Redding instead of Stevie Wonder? why two cuts from the VU?), but--for once--that's not the mark of an inferior product: the High Fidelity soundtrack is every bit as good as the book that inspired it. --Randy Silver
High Fidelity
It has been said often enough that baby boomers are a television generation, but High
... more
Fidelity reminds that in a way they are the record-album generation as well. This hilarious novel is obsessed with music; Hornby's narrator is an early thirtysomething bloke who runs a London record store. He sells albums recorded the old-fashioned way--on vinyl--and is having a tough time making other transitions as well, specifically to adulthood. The book is in one sense a love story, both sweet and interesting; most entertaining, though, are the hilarious arguments over arcane matters of pop music. --Christine Buttery
Fidelity reminds that in a way they are the record-album generation as well. This hilarious novel is obsessed with music; Hornby's narrator is an early thirtysomething bloke who runs a London record store. He sells albums recorded the old-fashioned way--on vinyl--and is having a tough time making other transitions as well, specifically to adulthood. The book is in one sense a love story, both sweet and interesting; most entertaining, though, are the hilarious arguments over arcane matters of pop music. --Christine Buttery
Advantages: more than five reasons to love it, less than five reasons not to Disadvantages: the setting change?
...£30” promotions in some High Street shops.
5. The soundtrack is available on CD.
N.B. If you haven't seen this film, and are wondering about the lists, I've done it in this style as a tribute to the use of Top Five lists in the book and film. ...
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Advantages: John Cusack, Jack Black and the music Disadvantages: None
...all the way back to high school. He compiles a list (he's always doing this) and tries to get in touch with each of his previous girlfriends to find out why they broke up with him. Meanwhile Laura has moved in with former neighbour, Ian Raymond a sort of 'New Age/tentric lover man'. Rob hates this, partly because he can't understand why Laura would go for him and partly because he remembers the evening that he and Laura used to hear Ian making love ... ...that happening with 'his' Laura. His male pride has taken a battering. I won't give away the ending, but I will say that Rob's journey back revisiting his previous relationship makes him realise some home truths about himself and how he feels about Laura. A traumatic event later in the film brings things to a decisive conclusion.
THE PERFORMANCES:
John Cusack is simply brilliant. He is Rob Grant, a likeable tosser who really needs to grow up and ...
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Advantages: A good "grower" Disadvantages: Not quite what I expected
...5 reasons why I rented High Fidelity....
1. I’d just joined Blockbuster and had to rent something
2. I was with my girlfriend so any naff action or scary horror movie was out
3. I didn’t want to pay for a brand new release so it had to be a slightly older movie.
4. I’d read the book and was curious about the film.
5. erm, erm, I’d read the book!
Right, that’s not exactly an inspiring selection is it, it doesn't get much better right away, let’s ... ...know service levels are as high in the US as over here!
3. A “what might have been” scene with Rob and Ian
4. Rob, a man perpetually getting wet in the rain, falling into a flower bed!
5. A rather cruel scene of music shop snobbery, watch the film and you’ll see what I mean.
No, I’ve not gone completely “Top 5” list mad, it just that these are a recurring theme throughout the movie, starting with the main character, Rob’s Top 5 break-ups! and ...
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Advantages: Cusack, Black, the memories Disadvantages: None
...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 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 and Virgin, although there are still a few decent examples around if you look hard enough), but this film only uses that world as a reference ...
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Advantages: Some laughs and wittisms Disadvantages: Format, weak in parts
...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 ... ...who brought you Dangerous Liaisons, High Fidelity tells the tale of Rob (Cusack), who has recently split up with his girlfriend Laura Lydon, played by Iben Hjejle.
The owner of the cleverly titled ‘Championship Vinyl’, Rob is in a state of disarray and generally feeling down. He is going through a ‘What is it all about?’ phase, and trying to re-evaluate his life. Scared he has to grow up, he is a compulsive top five maker ...
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Actor(s): John Cusack, Jack Black, Lisa Bonet, Joelle Carter, Joan Cusack, Sara Gilbert
Director(s): Stephen Frears
Genre: Comedy
Classification: 15 years and over
Production Year: 2000
Running Time: 1 hour 49 minutes
Video Category: Feature Film
Plot: Rob Gordon who runs a music store is trying to win his girlfriend back after she left him for his neighbour. The story is based on the popular novel by Nick Hornby.
Release details
DVD Region: Region 2 (Europe)
Studio(s): Touchstone Home Video; Technicolor Distribution Services
Release date: 07/05/2001
No of Discs: 1
Catalogue No: BED 888157
Editor: Mick Audsley
Barcode: 5017188881579
Production Designer: David Chapman
Composer: Carter Burwell
Screenwriter: Scott Rosenberg, John Cusack, Steve Pink, D.V. DeVincentis, Nick Hornby
Executive Producer: Tim Bevan, Nick Hornby
Director of Photography: Seamus McGarvey
Music: Carter Burwell
Producer: Tim Bevan, John Cusack, Steve Pink, Rudd Simmons
Author: Nick Hornby
Voice: John Cusack
Art Director: David Chapman
Costume Designer: Laura Cunningham
Writer: Scott Rosenberg
DVD Description
Nick Hornby's popular novel makes the shift from London to Chicago in this Hollywood adaptation from the writing team responsible for GROSSE POINT BLANK. John Cusack stars as Rob, a thirtysomething record store owner who searches for the answer to the seemingly impossible question: Does he listen to pop music because he feels miserable, or is the music the cause of his misery
Languages
Main Language: English
Subtitle Language: Danish, English, Finnish, Greek, Hebrew, Icelandic, Norwegian, Swedish
Hearing Impaired Language: English
Technical information
Special Features: Deleted Scenes, Interview With Stephe Frears, Interview With John Cusack, Theatrical Trailer
Aspect Ratio: 1.85 Wide Screen
Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1
Dubbing Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1 English
Professional reviews
Review: "...A ruthlessly truthful and deviously smart comedy....Black's hilariously vitriolic rock snob Barry is especially impressive -- a long overdue breakthrough role for a very deserving talent..." (Box Office, p.67, 01/05/2000)
"...Fueled by high-octane writing and wickedly comic performances..." (Movieline, p.90, 01/09/2000)
"...[A] witty, exquisitely fine-tuned adaptation of Nick Hornby's 1995 novel....The movie is sparked by more than half a dozen incisive performances..." (New York Times, p.E15, 31/03/2000)
"...HIGH FIDELITY is a solid, entertaining, and often very funny piece of work..." (Premiere, p.22, 01/05/2000)
"...Cool....Funny and insightful..." -- 4 out of 5 stars (Total Film, p.88, 01/08/2000)
"...A trenchantly witty and acutely insightful script....[John Cusack gives a] fresh, fearless and ferociously funny lead performance..." (Variety, p.26-33, 20/03/2000)
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Listed on Ciao since : 20/07/2000
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