For fans of the book and GROSSE POINTE BLANK

Rating: 10/10 (26 March 2000)

John Cusack, as our lead character the record shop owner Rob, talks to the camera, narrating his own story, in between the bits where it unfolds on its own. The genius of this is that it allows the prose from Nick Hornby's extremely enjoyable book to remain, without voice-over, which would seem inappropriate for this story. And therefore the only real fault of the movie is there is not as much book in the movie as there is in the book.
Some of the REALLY GOOD bits from the book that stick in memory are unfortunately missing, but there is plenty good left. Cusack is quintessential Cusack, Jack Black takes the abusive record clerk Barry to bigger heights than any reader could have dreamed, and Iben Hjejle - the only wonderful thing in the formulaic MIFUNE - is again wonderful as Rob's on- and-off girlfriend Laura. One of the additions not in the book, a scene where Laura's new guy Ian (Tim Robbins) comes into Rob's record shop and he envisions revenge is a hilarious showstopper.