Cusack's Shtick is Wearing Thin

Rating: 3/10 (27 March 2001)

WARNING: Spoilers ahead.
John Cusack has been portraying the nice, cool, yet loveless underdog, for almost twenty years. Enough!
Yes, these films work on a basic level. After all, they are formula tested and proven. However, I'm enraged when I see such films garner wide critical acclaim. The reason is because the storyline of these films are the result of dumpster diving for old material.
Let's take a look at Mr. Cusack's similar films. They include; "The Sure Thing (1985)," "Better Off Dead (1987)," and "Say Anything (1989)." I am sure I am leaving some out but I think you get the drift. John Cusack has made a good living out of being the nice guy seeking a nice girl.
"High Fidelity" is no different except to say that even at thirty something, nice guys have trouble meeting nice girls. Perhaps so. However, I find it troubling to grant such movies some deep meaning mandate. This is not "Dr. Zhivago." Peppering the film with pop culture and anti-pop culture music references may be "hip" with some generation x-ers, who seem to love this kind of crap (see also "The Wedding Singer"), but it does have real limitations, which Mr. Cusack reached long ago. Alas, a paycheck is still a paycheck, and folks are still driven into delirium by the bozo formula. The lonely Cusack in the night rain might drive you nuts if you notice how abused it is in this movie.
I was impressed by Jack Black's performance as the die hard devotee to the cause of "music appreciation." The viewer see's that Black's character, Barry, is going to love the eighties and the past to the death. Barry is meant to be the juxtaposition of Cusack's character. While Barry is content to wallow in the past, Cusack seeks to gain a future. Unfortunately, Barry is funnier and more believable. This is because Cusack's real dilemma is not whether or not he will look to the future or the past. Rather, he only worries if he will find true love. I could care less if he ever does or doesn't and neither should you.
The bottom line is that this film is hopefully the end of the John Cusack unloved puppy series. Jack Black delivered well and he has a bright future in film. I rate this rot at three out of ten.