High Fidelity

Thanks to the chancy first-person device of having John Cusack narrate his thoughts directly to the camera, High Fidelity brings whole passages from Nick Hornby’s incisive, hilarious novel to the screen unchanged, allowing a smooth transition for his expert dissection of the pop-culture-obsessed male mind. In a charismatic and self-deprecating performance, Cusack stars as a love-addled Chicago record-store owner who tries to figure out his latest romantic cataclysm by tracking down the women on his Top Five break-up list. As he comes to terms with his reluctance to enter a mature adult relationship, Cusack contends with bickering clerks Jack Black and Todd Louiso, who drive potential customers away with their music snobbery.

Updated 02/24/2010