Love is a beautiful thing. Let's talk about love, shall we? Love isn't described as a science, but rather a spiritual connection. Love is taking a female friend for a long walk on the beach. Love is that glowing feeling that bubbles in the pit of your intestines. Love is that feeling that wears thin after several years. Yes, that is love. And nowhere in Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist, will you find any form of emotion.
You might feel a couple misplaced "awes" but watching Michael Cera stumble around for an hour and a half doesn't make me giddy or promise a fulfilling film experience. Then again, I'm not an Indie slut. Much of the films punch comes from the soundtrack which it wastes no time in boasting at the start of the credits. Yes...you are watching the film. Insert a couple lines of credits then jump to a roster including We Are Scientists, Modest Mouse, Vampire Weekend, and clever Indie product placement bands.
The film has several laughs and features a human for a plot device. A drunk slut named Caroline wanders off in the midst of the Big Apple and the group plans to find her while looking for a secret show with one of their favorite bands. The film follows the boy is pining over girl, meets new girl, loses new girl for old girl, realizes how fucking dumb his decision was and goes back to new girl. This film doesn't have that mythical chemistry though and would just rather use music as an adhesive.
Shit was SO INDEPENDENTIn some films, the product placement is just horribly blatant such as my recent indulging in the Rollerball remake, in which they attempted to turn it into satire. Babylon A.D. was another guilty party. Nick & Norah's was caught red-handed for having a myspace promotion union in which they find Indie bands that most likely win a contest. Their song is then featured in this hipster rom-com to a surprisingly dull effect. All the music sounds the same.
In summarization:
Producer #1: Hey, I have a great idea! Let's make a film with PLAYLIST in the title so you instantly relate it to MIXTAPE which all the HIPSTERS love.
Producer #2: Yeah! Hey! There's this book with that in the title. Quick, make some calls! Lets put that QUIRKY & AWKWARD guy from Juno in it so he can add QUIRKNESS to the film.
Producer #1: I can see it already! We should open the trailer with him stalling on the phone and torpidly saying B-DAY while starring at a picture that says HOMIE. Oh wow, this movie is so quirky and independent. Let's throw a REBEL chick in there for good measure.
Nick & Norah is a more intelligent Juno without all that "Young Mother Lifetime" bullshit clogging up what the fans of Diablo Cody really want; quirkiness. Cera has proven nothing to me. He cannot act outside his Bleeker character and until he proves to me otherwise, he will continue to be blacklisted from my taste. Excuse my harsh cynicism as I partially enjoyed this film. That is until the last quarter of the film attempted to promote punk-rock zionism and Judiasm within a 10 minute span.
-mAQ
I grew up in a college town, an ART SCHOOL college town. So from my experience, I say this shallow, pedestrian little movie nails this type of person very well. What's the deal with this Michael Cera kid anyway? Every film out caters to this type of guy and his vapid girlfriend's tastes.
ReplyDeleteOh, oh! By the way, I saw "Friday the 13th" on the big screen with an audience of these type o' cynical filmgoers and they were so terrified. None of them had seen the film before! After about 15 minutes of "Family Guy"-esque pop culture wisecracks, they all were sucked in and really put-off by it. A film based around dialogue, mood and non-CGI really was too much for them and they shat themselves at every dated "Boo!" moment. Life is grand.
"Shit was SO INDEPENDENT"
ReplyDeleteOh God.
Don't tell me...
>:3
ReplyDeleteI disagree with your comment about this film being more intelligent than Juno.
ReplyDeleteI don't like Juno, but I found that this film was just horrible. Even my moments of "aw" were just because I had a nostalgia for when a girl would smile at me for being a record label owner.
This one had subtle product placement for ipods, cellular phones, myspace, indie rock, and so much more, it's hilarious what they try to sneak by you.
I understand, but I meant production-wise more intelligent. I don't appreciate the extended scene of holding hamburger phones in Juno. I don't like the Moldy Peaches covers. I don't like the tic-tacs (Or whatever Cera liked)
ReplyDeleteI found Nick & Norah's ______ to be a wiser film. Fundamentally, it's stupid, but it was wise enough to meticulously hide its retardation from the prying eye of critics.
Michael Cera is a pile of shit.
ReplyDeleteAfter having just watched a few clips of "Scott Pilgrim Against The World" on Youtube i just realised something, not only is Michael Cera a "pile of shit" hes also "the most pathetic joke in the history of the universe".
ReplyDelete