Better Than The Book

Rating: 9/10 (14 April 2005)

A film being better than the book is pretty unusual, I think, but this is definitely the case here. The main character of the Nick Hornby book is more annoying and dispiriting than the guy played by John Cusack. I couldn't relate to the book-version Rob's mean-spiritedness and his relentless selfishness. Hornby apparently said the book was about 'England', but his main character isn't someone I recognize, and I'm British. Yes, the English have their sad-sacks, but someone this 'sad' (British meaning) is way off the chart, even in places like Peckham. He was a depressing guy to read about. So chopping out the worst excesses of the annoying Rob lightens the tone of the movie a lot, and the fact that they kept the humorous bits in - the top five lists, the musical snobbery, the talking to the camera / reader saying things like 'I swear I'm not making this up' - makes the movie the story the book should have been, I reckon. And the excellent performances from John Cusack (co-writer), Jack Black, and the weird little guy who plays 'Dick' make the funny bits even funnier. All-in-all a really well done movie. From Rob's girlfriend walking out on him at the beginning through to Jack Black's amazing singing at the end, hardly a bum note in the whole piece.