High Fidelity
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After his long-time girlfriend dumps him, a thirty-year-old record store owner seeks to understand why he is unlucky in love while recounting his "top five breakups of all time".
What critics thought
Broadly well-received on release, the film earns its reputation mainly through the specificity of its music-world milieu and a cast that critics found hard to resist — though a minority felt Cusack was miscast and the romantic core never quite ignited. The central debate is whether Rob's arrested-adolescence arc lands as earned growth or stays frustratingly thin.
“Watching High Fidelity, I had the feeling I could walk out of the theater and meet the same people on the street — and want to, which is an even higher compliment.”
Roger Ebert·Chicago Sun-Times
“a master at projecting easygoing camaraderie, he navigates the transitions with such an astonishing naturalness and fluency that you're almost unaware of them.”
Stephen Holden·New York Times
“a bundle of verbally ferocious energy. Frankly, whenever he's in the scene, he shoplifts this movie from Cusack.”
Desson Howe·Washington Post
“In High Fidelity, Rob's music fixation is a signpost of his arrested adolescence; he needs to get past records to find true love. If the movie had had a richer romantic spirit, he might have embraced both in one swooning gesture.”
Owen Gleiberman·Entertainment Weekly
“Let's be kind and just say High Fidelity doesn't quite belong beside Grosse Pointe Blank and The Sure Thing in Cusack's greatest hits collection. It's not that he isn't good. More like miscast.”
USA Today
Genres
Drama, Comedy, Romance, Music
Cast & Crew
Stephen FrearsDirector
John CusackRob
Iben HjejleLaura
Todd LouisoDick
Jack BlackBarry
Lisa BonetMarie De Salle
Catherine Zeta-JonesCharlie
Joan CusackLiz
Tim RobbinsIan
Lili TaylorSarah
Joelle CarterPenny
Howard ShoreComposer
Scott RosenbergWriter
D.V. DeVincentisWriter
Steve PinkWriterJohn CusackWriter
Seamus McGarveyCinematographyFrom the studio
High Fidelity
After his long-time girlfriend dumps him, a thirty-year-old record store owner seeks to understand why he is unlucky in love while recounting his "top five breakups of all time".
What critics thought
Broadly well-received on release, the film earns its reputation mainly through the specificity of its music-world milieu and a cast that critics found hard to resist — though a minority felt Cusack was miscast and the romantic core never quite ignited. The central debate is whether Rob's arrested-adolescence arc lands as earned growth or stays frustratingly thin.
“Watching High Fidelity, I had the feeling I could walk out of the theater and meet the same people on the street — and want to, which is an even higher compliment.”
Roger Ebert·Chicago Sun-Times
“a master at projecting easygoing camaraderie, he navigates the transitions with such an astonishing naturalness and fluency that you're almost unaware of them.”
Stephen Holden·New York Times
“a bundle of verbally ferocious energy. Frankly, whenever he's in the scene, he shoplifts this movie from Cusack.”
Desson Howe·Washington Post
“In High Fidelity, Rob's music fixation is a signpost of his arrested adolescence; he needs to get past records to find true love. If the movie had had a richer romantic spirit, he might have embraced both in one swooning gesture.”
Owen Gleiberman·Entertainment Weekly
“Let's be kind and just say High Fidelity doesn't quite belong beside Grosse Pointe Blank and The Sure Thing in Cusack's greatest hits collection. It's not that he isn't good. More like miscast.”
USA Today
Genres
Drama, Comedy, Romance, Music
Cast & Crew
Stephen FrearsDirectorJohn CusackRobIben HjejleLauraTodd LouisoDickJack BlackBarryLisa BonetMarie De SalleCatherine Zeta-JonesCharlieJoan CusackLizTim RobbinsIanLili TaylorSarahJoelle CarterPennyHoward ShoreComposerScott RosenbergWriterD.V. DeVincentisWriterSteve PinkWriterJohn CusackWriterSeamus McGarveyCinematographyFrom the studio
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