Hornby travels the Atlantic well.

Rating: 9/10 (5 August 2000)

Having seen Fever Pitch I never thought anything written by Nick Hornby would be made as an American film - not made well anyway! However, when the same team that wrote, directed, produced, etc... Grosse Pointe Blank signs a deal to turn Hornby's book about infidelity in a record store you know it's in some of the safest hands it could be. I say that but this film represents John Cusacks Production team's proof that Grosse Pointe Blank was not a fluke. High Fidelity is an excellent film. Well scripted, excellently acted, particularly by the supporting cast and well directed. Actors talking to the camera can sometimes seem uncomfortable but John Cusack carries it off in a style that feels natural to watch. The same though cannot be said of Iben Hjejle (Laura), she is acting in a foreign language but sadly for large portions of the film this makes her appear wooden. This is only seriously noticeable in a couple of scenes but with so many good actresses around I can't fathom how she got the part. She certainly is no Minnie Driver. Catherine Zeta-Jones also seems an odd choice for one of Cusack's former loves. She plays the part well enough but there's something not quite right, she's just miscast I feel. It's hardly a laugh a minute but it's a darn sight better romantic comedy than the average Hugh Grant flick. It is though, in the record store that the film comes to life where Jack Black and Todd Luiso play Cusack's long time muso employees. To call Black a scene stealer is like calling the Saturn V Moon Rocket a firework. All that a great slimy cameo by a ponytailed Tim Robbins. Watch this movie, even if you're not on a date. If John Cusack hadn't done Pushing Tin I'd have though he could do no wrong, 2 of the best movies of the past 12 months have his name above them. This is not as good as Being John Malkovich but it is a good movie nonetheless.