Am I missing something?

Rating: Null/10 (29 November 2000)

I don't know why some people are so enchanted by this movie. This film in generally rather depressing: a sad story of a loser, and the various losers with whom he surrounds himself. The humor purports to find beginnings in a failed relationship between the Cuzack character (the owner of a record store in a fringe neighborhood of Chicago(?) and the most recent of his girlfriends, and the antics of the screwball "employees" in his store. These last two characters were actually rather well written and clever.
There are several clever aspects to this movie, which was apparently written by people quite knowledgable about music, but it basically is about a selfish, immature loser who still somehow ends up with the girl, who upon any reflection whatsoever, is revealed as no great prize herself. Why would anyone be interested in either of these two?
The movie itself is filmed in a quirky kind of style in which the main character speaks directly to the viewers (even furtively lowering his voice when others are nearby) and was shot in a quick-cut fashion reminiscent of a cough syrup commercial one might have seen on television and quickly forgot. The continuous smoking of the protagonist made me wonder if the movie was funded by a tobacco company, and made my eyes sting just watching.
It was essentially a depressing movie interspersed with some funny (but eminently predictable) moments. (One clever remark: describing a sweater as "So Cosby" in a movie featuring a former castmember in a small, but very noticeable role).
It's worth a look, particularly if you are interested in music, or John Cuzack, otherwise, keep on browsing the aisles of the video store...
By the way, how did he afford this store or paying his employees, with no customers?