Predictable time spent with nice people

Rating: 8/10 (4 February 2009)

There are no surprises in this teen romcom. Nearly all romcoms follow the formula of the two protagonists not realising that they are meant for each other until near the end, and this is no exception.
However, it does have several things going for it. One is the unusual skeleton, which is to do with various musical matters - going to concerts, and trying to get to a secret concert (does New York really have live amplified rooftop concerts at 5am?). Another is Ari Graynor, who delivers one of the most delightful screen drunks I can recall. And the third is the screen personae of Michael Cera and Kat Dennings as Nick and Norah, who are eventually drawn together by shared musical tastes.
Michael Cera is very good at projecting vulnerability, very nearly easing into "loser" territory, but with too strong a sense of self worth for that to apply fully. Kat Dennings, with whom I am not familiar, plays well, but comes over as a little too adult given the school hall sequence early on (ditto Alexis Dziena, albeit not quite to the same extent).
Notwithstanding how slight this film is, I enjoyed it a lot. There are a number of solid laughs (mostly courtesy of Ari Graynor's Caroline) and one gross-out moment - and it really is gross, people in the cinema were groaning! What I enjoyed rather less was the bitch sitting in front and to the left of me who kept switching her mobile phone on every five minutes - it was like having a torch shining in my eyes. So for anyone reading this who tends to do this in cinemas, please don't. It's very selfish.
Sermon over.