Don't bother if you've read the book

Rating: 6/10 (6 April 2000)

Romances and comedies end with marriages. Tragedies begin with a marriage. Or so the saying goes, more or less.
And "more or less" is the overriding feel of "High Fidelity." It's like the book, more or less. It explores life and love, more or less. It's okay, more or less, but pretty formulaic in the end.
What Nick Hornby accomplished in his marvelously witty and fresh London-based book has been transmuted, more or less, into a distilled and sometimes lifeless form by John Cusack and his screenwriting cohorts. It lacks the sharp personal speculations, the unconventional blend of story-telling and fantasy-telling, and the charming mock-period-piece feel of the book. Championship Vinyl feels eerily out of place in contemporary Chicago, not unlike watching a Mini roll down Interstate 95. The film-makers can drop as many references to Sam Raimee as they'd like, but this is no beauty in America.
Alas, Mr. Cusack is also the weakest link amongst the cast -- which might be a bit understandable given the outstanding performances Todd Louiso and Jack Black offer.
The movie does offer a few new subtle jokes to the tale. The worst of these is the film's inability to take advantage of a Bruce Springsteen cameo; the best of these is an early mockery of Mr. Cusack's "Bill Cosby" approach to fashion -- followed by an appearance by Lisa Bonet.