High Fidelity Meets Garden State in a Fun and Breezy Alt-Romcom

Rating: 9/10 (23 November 2012)

A couple meets under unusual circumstances on a night in New York, and embark upon a journey which changes the both of them for ever. It's a sweet enough story, but what lifts it from good to great is the cast.
Stunning and sassy Kat Dennings and the instantly likable Michael Cera are down-to-earth enough to feel like regular, real people - an important trait in lead roles, given how invested in them we need to become - while the supporting cast is rife with delightfully over-the-top characters who offer some wonderful comedic moments.
The plot centres on the duo's twin missions: to track down an elusive indie band's secret gig, and to relocate a drunk, missing friend. But the real journey is one of discovery - for Cera's character, to see how wrong his on-again off-again girlfriend is for him, and Dennings', to learn how to overcome her own feelings of inadequacy.
These realisations come subtly in an understated manner which is nicely at odds to some of the overtly comical people they meet along the way (Andy Samberg in a very minor role instantly springs to mind - along with all manner of drag queens, bitter exes, profane musicians and a "Drunkzilla"). Against this backdrop, our heroes seem all the more relatable.
There are moments of hilarity, and of real pathos; things we all recognise from our own youthful misadventures, and ones we know from our relationships. It's all played out by a well-capable cast, and boasts a top-notch soundtrack.
This is indie at its finest.