Occasional laughs punctuate the boredom

Rating: 6/10 (27 January 2003)

Yes, I did laugh occasionally here and there... but the fact is that these characters are pathetic. Rob (John Cusack) is completely possessive/obsessive and self centered, unable to be vulnerable or caring even for a moment -- his string of failed relationships is obvious and understandable, as is his self-pity (he really is as worthless as he feels himself to be). Nobody (at least nobody I can think of) could like or relate to this guy, or the people he works with at "Championship Vinyl."
Unfortunately, liking and/or identifying with the characters is necessary in a character-driven film like this... so it becomes an exercise in tedium almost immediately. Although not without some redeeming qualities, even being a vinyl fan (like myself) doesn't save the picture from its own leaden weight and banal predictability. 6/10