Intermission: Frears, Cusack perfectly in tune on 'High Fidelity'

"High Fidelity"

Directed by: Stephen Frears

Starring: John Cusack, Jack Black, Iben Hjejle, Todd Louiso

Rated: R

It's not what you're like, it's what you like.

Such is the rule of the main characters in Stephen Frears' incredibly funny and insightful film, "High Fidelity."

I'm sure when cops see a "cop" movie or astronauts see something like "Mission to Mars," they sit around later and discuss how things aren't really like that in real life. I have to tell you, from personal experience over the course of more decades than I'd like to admit, "High Fidelity" nails the world of the pop music fanatic (I resist using the phrase "record geek") to absolute perfection. It does so even more realistically than Barry Levinson's first-and best-film, "Diner."

Anyone who has ever habituated the cluttered, funky and fascinating world of the used record store will immediately recognize every character in this movie. You might even see yourself. And everyone who has ever made a mix tape for a friend or lover will understand why the folks in this film belabor pop music minutiae to the point of fanaticism.

The appeal here, though, isn't just to the pop fan. "High Fidelity" is an engaging romantic comedy with more personality than any other "date movie" in recent memory. John Cusack, one of those actors who always draws the viewer in, not only stars in the film, he co-wrote and produced it. One of the wisest choices he made as a producer was hiring Stephen Frears to direct.

Cusack plays Rob Gordon, owner of a vintage (yes they still sell 12-inch albums) record store in Chicago called Championship Vinyl. He and his equally compulsive staff have lives that revolve around the music that has fueled them from an early age. Their conversations are filled with games of compiling "top five" lists of everything from "Best First Cuts, Side A" to "Songs About Death." Actually "games" isn't the right word here. They take this stuff seriously, and woe unto you who are tragically un-hip.

Cusack, as Rob, addresses the camera directly throughout the film, and the main plot revolves around the top five list of his "Most Painful Romantic Breakups." Starting in grade school, we're treated to the loves and losses of Rob's life through a hilarious series of flashbacks. This feeling has come about due to the most recent romantic trainwreck, his breakup with longtime live-in girlfriend, Laura.

Rob tells us about the other loves in his life and then begins contacting each one to gain insight into how he screwed up. Each episode is as touching as it is funny, and Cusack's charm as an actor pulls us into Rob's life every step of the way.

Not surprisingly, the music here is as much of a main character as any of the actors, and everything from 50s rockabilly to 60s soul to punk and new wave to current trends is addressed.

In one all too true-to-life scene, a square-looking middle-aged guy comes into the store looking for Stevie Wonder's "I Just Called To Say I Love You." This sends hot-headed clerk Barry (Jack Black) into a tirade about meaningless wimp songs that nobody would ever really want to listen to. "Oops, I'm sorry," Barry apologizes, "is your daughter in a coma?!!"

Remember, it's not what you are like, it's what you like that matters.

Yet, through it all, the film keeps these characters extremely likable

I wondered if I was a little to close to the subject matter to give an honest assessment of the film, but after checking around, I've found that critics everywhere are being very kind to "High Fidelity."

(Jim Wunderle works at Associated Video Producers and is a Springfield free-lance writer and musician.)