[Movie Review] NICK AND NORAH’S INFINITE PLAYLIST
(spoilers lay ahead) I am officially sick and tired of Michael Cera. The skinny little body, beady little eyes, pathetic little voice, need I go on? I didn’t mind him one bit in Superbad, but somewhere between that film and this one, something happened. Juno happened. Among the myriad of problems that I had with that film, the one shining light seemed to be Cera’s performance as an awkward guy who does the right thing and gets the girl in the end. I liked his performance, but now after seeing NANIP, I’ve realized a cold hard fact: Cera can only play skinny awkward guys who do the right thing and get the girl in the end.
Right at the beginning of NANIP, the realization slammed into my system and didn’t let go until the credits began to roll. This film is so mediocre that I had plenty of time to think about whether my realization is correct, or if Cera has simply been typecast. Then I ran across this article and my premonition was pretty much confirmed. He’s an awkward little guy content with playing himself in every film that he makes. That would be fine if not for the fact that, as I said above, NANIP wasn’t a mediocre, predictable piece of tripe that insulted my intelligence time and time again. The film revolves around Nick (Cera), an awkward little douche who is pining after his ex-girlfriend, a royal bitch who dumped him on his birthday. Said biatch happens to be frenemies with Norah (an absolutely stunning Kat Dennings). After the two N’s meet awkwardly in a club, they spend the night running around NYC with Nick’s friends as they hunt for the location of a concert to be given by a mythical indie band called Where’s Fluffy, while the biatch does everything in her power to keep N&N from getting together.
Dennings is such a talented and beautiful girl, and this film commits the dumb sin of attempting to get the audience to believe that she isn’t beautiful. The evil friend is supposed to be the prettiest girl in school, but the girl playing her has an odd face and a scrawny body. You stand her next to Kat, and Kat blows her out of the water, but this film would have me believe that Kat’s Norah is insecure and unsure of herself. They try to justify her insecurity later in the film, but by then it’s too little, too late. Guys in my screening were literally wolf-whistling at the screen when Kat was onscreen, so don’t try to tell me that she isn’t hot. If you’re gonna do that, don’t put her in a low cut top that shows off those chest cannons of hers. Don’t put that great blood-red lipstick on those almost-Jolie lips of hers. It just didn’t work, and I spent the entire film wondering what the hell this moron Nick ever saw in that other chick. The subplot about Norah’s drunk friend was good for a few laughs, and a recurring bit about a piece of gum started as funny and descended into a gross-out fest that wasn’t necessary for this movie. It just felt like a desperate move on the part of the filmmakers, and was completely unrealistic to me.
The sheer predictability of this film irritated the crap out of me. I could think five or six scenes ahead of this film, and it pissed me off that I was watching a film this lazy. Do you think N&N will start to like each other, but Nick will still try to get back with his no-good ex, then have a change of heart as he has a flashback to his fun time with Norah, then dump the ex and make that tried and true “mad dash to the boat/airport/wedding/restaurant/apartment/job office/take your friggin’ pick in order to declare his feelings”? Do you? DO YOU? For once, I would love to see a film break from this paint-by-numbers routine and do something a bit original for a change, but nope. They stick to the formula fast and true here, and it sucks.
Speaking of sucking, they spend all of this time building up this Where’s Fluffy band…and you never even get to hear them play one single friggin’ song! You spend an entire movie talking about them as the best indie band alive, and refuse to deliver the goods? I call BS. The movie is predictable and ultimately forgettable, the performances are average at best (though Kat gives it her best shot), and I am officially declaring a moratorium on Michael Cera. It’s not terrible enough for me to give it one star, since I enjoyed Kat and some small bits were funny enough, so…
8 Responses to “[Movie Review] NICK AND NORAH’S INFINITE PLAYLIST”
*Phew* For a while I couldn’t get this comments box! Thought I’d have to leave this uncommented on.
Whilst this wasn’t on my radar, I was going to check it out, but as anyone whose been following my recent spate of romcom reviews can tell, I have NO tolerance for “safe”, “tepid” conventional romcoms anymore. So it looks like I may have to give this a wide birth from what you’ve been saying Kris.
I think it’s still a tad too early to turn on Michael Cera JUST yet though. Totally get what you’re saying. He’s DANGEROUSLY close to following into the type-casting pit!
YEAR ONE will be his last real opportunity to do something “different”.
Well, he should kick arse as Scott Pilgrim, which is one of the greatest graphic novel series ever.
I like him, though this does look a bit duff.
Hmmm… Hugh Jackman SHOULD have kicked ass as Van Helsing. Kurt Russell SHOULD have kicked ass in Soldier. Mel Gibson SHOULD have kicked ass in Lethal Weapon 4.
If should’ve could’ve he would’ve!
Edgar Wright is due a smackdown to keep his ego under control. I just hope Scott Pilgrim isn’t the project that does it!
I’m pretty much a bitch for what ever Wright does.
Yeah, I used to be like that with Bryan Singer…
*SOB* Superman Returns *SOB*
LOL
Hahahahaaa Singerman Returns to Pay Child Support and Lift Shit.
there were some awkward moments in this movie that were hard to get past… such as every time that gum was re-used (yuck!)
Yet again, he plays himself in the movie Year One. :/
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