User reviews

In this age of super-broad comedies and sexed-up teen films, there comes Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist. It's all-too-easy to groan at the thought of sitting down to a high school film these days, yet 'Nick & Norah' attempts to make you rethink that. It tries to achieve that so rare of an achievement; it tries to make a genuine and honest teen comedy.

It succeeds.

Michael Cera, that king of adorable dorkiness, stars as Nick, the sole straight member of a queer-rock band. Kat Dennings plays Norah, a rocking rich chick who is just as unattracted to teenage pettiness as the rest of us are. These two meet through a random encounter and together set out to try and find the secret show of the aptly titled rock band Where's Fluffy? They cruise the town like grown adults, yet underneath both are incredibly naive. They argue, fight, flirt, and, yes, fall in love; what makes the film great is how mature and honest a relationship they create. We know from the beginning that it is the destiny of Nick and Norah to get together, yet when they do it is nothing short of soulful. With a wonderfully witty script along for the ride, it's apparent that this is much more than your average teenage comedy. 7/10 stars!

Jay Addison

I was pleasantly surprised by this movie. It's not as raunchy as its teen comedy predecessors, yet not as cloying as the usual chick flick. Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist manages to strike up a nice balance between the two with a dash of hipster thrown in there. However don't let the title fool you. It isn't all about the music!

The movie is very character-driven and, fortunately, the cast was strong enough to carry it. Michael Cera and Kat Dennings make one quirky and fun on screen pair. The supporting cast members also shine in their roles. Ari Graynor, for instance, plays one of the most ridiculously likable drunks I've ever seen. The performances delivered by this young cast are really what make this movie.

Overall I enjoyed what I saw and can't wait for the DVD release. You don't have to think too hard about this one. It's a quick glimpse into the NYC music scene, light on the drama, but romantic and funny where it needs to be.

Ah, and, for the record, you don't have to be into the hipster subculture to appreciate this movie. It's definitely an accessible story, whether you've heard of Vampire Weekend or not.

On one particular night in New York City, an elusive band by the name of Where's Fluffy? have announced a secret concert. The word spreads through the city's underground punk scene faster than it can go out of style and before long, it reaches Nick and Norah. Nick and Norah don't know each other when this news reaches their ears but before the end of the night, they will each find something infinitely more important than Fluffy. NICK AND NORAH'S INFINITE PLAYLIST is a contemporary romantic comedy that sets itself in an entirely unconventional place and time (can you think of another way to describe a straight romance in the queer punk underground?), but presents itself in a sometimes far too conventional fashion. While it can at times be too cool for school, it is the roughness around its edges that give it an unexpected and genuine warmth. Like any finely balanced playlist, it works its way into your head and your soul.

Nick (Michael Cera) has been down as of late. It seems his fragile heart has been trampled by Tris (Alexis Dziena), a girl so clearly wrong for him but whose physical beauty is apparently capable of diverting people from noticing her lack of a soul. Norah (Kat Dennings) has some trust issues as she naturally assumes that any man interested in her is likely more interested in her connections (her dad is an enormously successful record executive). As a result, both Nick and Norah have withdrawn – not externally as they both still function amongst the other humans but they do so at arm's length. Like sleeping beauties though, they are both awoken from their waking comas by a shared impromptu kiss. Suddenly, worlds they never knew existed have become possibilities and an ordinary evening becomes an adventure. While the twists the evening takes are at times unrealistic, they do give the night and the film a sense of spontaneity that makes the viewer believe that anything can happen.

Peter Sollett is a delicate director. His first feature, RAISING VISTOR VARGAS, in which a group of Hispanic youths in New York's lower east side figure out how to stop playing and how to be themselves instead, was a singular revelation. He created a strong sense of hesitation in face of the unknown and a desire to be something more. He has an ease with creating simple, real spaces that foster intimacy and humble his characters and Nick and Norah are no exception to his treatment. Outside of these two though, the remaining ensemble are little more than comic relief and functional plot progression pieces. They can come across as occasionally transparent and one-dimensional but thankfully never enough to distract from the delightful romance budding at the center of all the chaos. Cera proves his versatility once again by showing that there are hundreds of facets to being an awkward teenager, that awkwardness does not define you but is rather just how who you are can come across. Dennings is his perfect counterpoint; she is sharp and strong, a worthy adversary, but frightened underneath it all, an ideal match. The two are so strongly suited that they transform the sometimes too facile script into something much more mature and meaningful.

NICK AND NORAH'S INFINITE PLAYLIST made me want to fall in love. It also made me laugh and swoon, delight in the magic of music and believe in the transformative properties of one crazy night. It made me long to be in New York City. It made me wish that I was that young again and that believing in possibilities was that easy to do. It may not be perfect but it is almost better that way, more real. There is something so genuine at the heart of this film that makes it almost impossible not to want for Nick and Norah to realize their potential – a potential that is just as infinite as the playlist they are about to create together.

'Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist' turned out to be a sweet and cool surprise. I was just expecting another usual teen flick and while the main storyline does follow the formula, its the treatment that appealed. The director really shows that even though there is a physical attraction between the two leads, they also have characteristics that repel each other. But, what really brings these two people closer is their passionate liking for music. Both have the same taste and the best parts of the films are the sequences where the two talk about their favourite songs and singers.

The movie pretty much takes place during an entire night and Sollett's portrayal of night in the city is amusing and exciting. Lighting is cleverly used and the yellow tinted colour adds more excitement into the night. With the exception of that Spice Girls track, I like the soundtrack.

Michael Cera and Kat Dennings suit their parts wonderfully. They maintain a good chemistry (even though their love scene looks a little awkward). Aaron Yu, Rafi Gavron and Jonathan Wright provide some fun comic relief as Nick's friends/bandmembers. Ari Graynor is hilarious.

I like the title of this movie and how the movie stays true to it. It's a charming little film that is perhaps best enjoyed at night.

I had a small feeling about Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist that it was going to be a decent hit, with the popularity of Juno, not to compare, but this movie had similarities. This movie has my main pet peeve with the younger generation of today, the people who are the "I heard this band before you did so I have better taste than you do" type of mentality. The independent rock music movies are just not my thing, so I wasn't too excited to see this movie, but when some friends invited me to go see it with them, I had low expectations and actually ended up having a great time watching Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist. It's honestly one of the better comedies that is out in theaters right now, although I have to admit I feel so dirty watching all these horny teenage girls, I'm a girl, and it just made me feel uncomfortable, this is how teenagers act? Scary; anyways, the story is really fun and gives you a great time laughing.

Nick is having a hard time after his rough break up with super slutty Tris, he continues to mix CD's for her that her fellow student, Norah listens too and enjoys it. By chance Norah meets Nick not knowing that it's Tris's ex and says that he's her boyfriend to show Tris that she's no prude. But when Norah learns that Nick is the ex, Nick also won't shut up about Tris, but they find out throughout the night that maybe they're musical soul mates and can really dig each other's vibe. But in the mean time with their crazy friends, they try to find their favorite band that is hidden in New York.

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist is definitely worth the look, I would say that it's worth full price. The only thing I have a problem with is our leading man, Michael Cera, this guy is a nice actor, but he hasn't really expanded himself into different roles, he's been playing the same character since Superbad to be honest. But I'm seeing Kat Dennings more and more, I'm enjoying her presence on screen, she's very lovely and has potential. But the person who definitely stole the show was Norah's drunk friend, Caroline played by Ari Graynor, she was just beyond hilarious and stole all the laughs. Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist is a great new teen comedy, though I really hope teenagers don't act like this... if they do... oh, I'm praying that our future is going to be alright.

7/10

In New Jersey, the straight high school student Nick (Michael Cera) plays guitar in the gay band Jerk Offs with his gay friends Thom (Aaron Yoo) and Dev (Rafi Gavron). Nick misses his sweetheart, the bitch Tris (Alexis Dziena) that despises the CDs he gives to her. The teenager Norah (Kat Dennings) that studies in the Sacred Heart school with her best friend Caroline (Ari Graynor) and Tris, has never had a boyfriend and does not know Nick but loves his musical taste, and collects the CDs that Tris throws in the garbage.

In the weekend, Norah and Caroline hang around to see the concert of the Where's Fluffy band and they meet Tris dating Gary (Zachary Booth). Meanwhile, Nick drives his old Yugo to meet Thom, Dev and his boyfriend Lethario (Jonathan B. Wright) and play in the same club where Norah, Caroline and Tris are. Tris gibes the lonely Norah and she asks Nick to be her boyfriend for five minutes without knowing that he was the ex to Tris.

When the alcoholic Caroline is completely wasted, Thom and Dev offer to take her back home and ask Norah to date the brokenhearted Nick. Along the night, they learn that they are soul mates.

"Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist" is a typical teen romance for teens. However, it is possible to an older guy like me enjoy this forgettable film. It is just necessary to remember that one day you were a teenager and you may enjoy this teen romance. The characters are very charismatic and it is only hard to believe that a pretty and cool girl like Kat Dennings does not have a boyfriend. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Nick & Norah - Uma Noite de Amor e Música" ("Nick & Norah – A Night of Love and Song")

Michael Cera reprises a role he does best (a good-natured dork) as high school student Nick O'Leary, the only straight guy in the mostly gay-punk group The Jerk Offs. Nick makes 'closure' CD soundtracks (up to Vol. 12!) for his bitchy ex-girlfriend Tris (Alexis Dziena, another stereotype for most annoying girl ever--originally hated her in Fool's Gold). Nick meets Tris' best friend Norah Silverberg (Kat Dennings), a mysterious, brooding type, when she asks him to play her boyfriend for a few minutes (another old trick in the book).

Just like the characters' purported awkward age, Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist was painfully awkward in its acting, story and editing. There were a few highlights and seriously funny moments, but they are a sad sprinkling. Ari Graynor's antics as Caroline, Norah's drunk and ditzy friend, seemed genuine but it wasn't established how and why they remain friends. Some of the dialogue is hilarious but you are rewarded by these handouts only if you're patient enough not to sleep through this infinitely long-drawn out teen flick.

Oh, the soundtrack was perfectly ambient but not particularly memorable (which is the saddest part!), however, I thought the escalator kissing scene was really sweet.

All right. Listen up out there. You could say this is Juno without the baby...or almost as useless and watered down as a straight to DVD movie...but you would be missing the point--not that every movie has to have a point.

N&N is not trying to sell something or be something--it's not even trying to be great...because most love stories that try to be great fail. When you see N&N (and if you're in the mood for a lighthearted enjoyable movie, you should), don't go with an expectation of grandeur or even for the entire thing to be great. Alexis Diziena is as useless in this film as she is anorexic and whorish--her part is almost explicitly sexual. And there are so many subplots that their lives appear at times to be exaggerated. What matters almost seems to be camouflaged by what should be secondary.

The movie succeeds in a number of understated ways, though. Ari Graynor's part is by far the funniest character of the bunch and Ari plays the part extremely well. The gay band Michael Cera is a member of adds a quirky afterthought to his character's back story. And what's most important--the characters Nick and Norah act like slightly more interesting versions of normal people. They have their flaws and their disagreements but they're capable of finding the beauty in each other and their story along the way.

Movies should be about the creation and expansion of a spark of magic--not about giving you exactly what you expect or want. The perfection of the movie lives in its imperfections. The love is in the relationships that are real and what is fake gets left behind in a sketchy area near 10th street (that's not a spoiler). It amplifies grace with its soundtrack and hope with its random culmination of peculiar events over a single-night.

So just let the infinite playlist play and enjoy it already.

Michael Cera plays Nick, a rock musician who has recently been dumped by his girlfriend (Alexis Dziena). The rest of his band forces him into the arms of a beautiful girl, Norah (Kat Dennings) who has showed up to their show. The film takes place over one night in New York City, and we watch the two kids fall for each other while some hip music plays over the soundtrack. The two leads are quite charming. We've seen Cera do this same role before, so Dennings is the real surprise here. She's stunning, and this movie's sure to make her a big star. The casting is quite off in this movie, though. It's the kind of movie where Norah is frequently chastised for being a nerd and ugly and sexually inexperienced, but she never comes off as such. Dziena comes off as far too sexy to have been dating Cera in any life. Jay Baruchel shows up as Norah's on-again-off-again boyfriend, and, if you're familiar with his career anyway, he's way too dorky and likable to be playing any sort of villain. Or even anyone cool. I did like the three gay guys who comprised the rest of Cera's band. Aaron Yoo is quite good. He was also in the underrated film Rocket Science last year.

For years, teenagers have connected with one another through music and the discovery of new and different bands. Even though technology has allowed music to be more widespread and portable, there is still the thrill of late-night adventures seeking live performances from favourite bands. In Peter Sollett's Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, he brings this out on screen in a fun manner that shows you do not necessarily need crude humour or death-defying encounters to make a night out with friends an interesting and worth telling story. Throughout the film, the audience becomes more enriched by the characters and their ideas. Nick and Norah could have easily become a smug "teenagers rule over all" tale like this year's Charlie Bartlett, but is instead is a sweet romance between two individuals that most people can easily relate to.

Nick (Michael Cera) is the guitarist for a queercore band with his two friends Dev and Thom (Rafi Gavron and Aaron Yoo). He is currently grieving over the separation between his former girlfriend Tris (Alexis Dziena), but decides to join his friends for a performance out in New York City. In an act of desperation, he encounters Norah (Kat Dennings), who asks Nick to be his boyfriend for five minutes. After her drunken friend Caroline (Ari Graynor) runs off into the city, Nick and Norah along with his friends scour the city in search of her. Meanwhile, Tris is decides to go after Nick to find out if it truly is over between them.

One of the key successes of this film lies with the ensemble cast of talented young actors. Adults are barely featured in this film, as the teenage characters are given the overall spotlight here and Peter Sollett has hired some very good actors to play these parts. Michael Cera is still playing the awkward individual he has been doing since Arrested Development, but he still grows into the part well, as his character is not quite as nervous as previous roles. He proves to be likable and relatable in the part and his chemistry with the other actors comes off very well. Kat Dennings surpasses him, though, giving Norah a sarcastic wit and coming off as very easy to relate to. The way Nick and Norah progress throughout the film is handled very well by Cera and Dennings. Ari Graynor deserves some acclaim for her wacky, but still nuanced performance as Caroline. She is given the bulk of "stunts" in this film, particularly when sharing the screen with a piece of gum that ends up becoming a separate character by itself. Aaron Yoo, Rafi Gavron and Jonathan B Wright allow their best friend roles to become more than just simple stereotypes as they prove just as likable as the leads. Jay Baruchel also does a fine job in a small role that is definitely very far from the meek actor he played in last summer's Tropic Thunder.

Credit should also go to first-time screenwriter Lorene Scafaria, adapting the original source material by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan. She writes a funny and intelligent script with well-developed characters who evolve effectively and realistically as the film goes on. She also does not go the Adventures in Babysitting route by showing New York after hours as a grungy underworld, instead opting for a more light-weight approach to the material. She understands the independent musical scene of the Big Apple and she portrays it effectively throughout the course of the film. Director Peter Sollett and Cinematographer Tom Richmond also do well in lighting the city and allowing it to breathe. Even though the large majority of Nick and Norah takes place at night, there is still plenty of light that shines through, particularly in showing the vast culture. Legendary locations like the New Jersey Turnpike, Times Square and Pennsylvania Station also make appearances to give the film an even more New York feel.

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist simply wants to be a fun, breezy ride through New York's music scene and the audience is happy to go along with it. The characters are easy to relate to, the writing is intelligent and the direction is solid. Though there have been plenty of "one night in the city" films, Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist manages to stay fresh and original and unique through its running time. Overall, this is definitely one to watch at the evening showing with the buddies.

From the slickly-animated opening titles to the hipster-jukebox soundtrack selections to the casting of Michael Cera as the neurotic hipster-kid who just can't let go of his manipulative bitch of an ex-girlfriend, "Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist" sets out to be the "Juno" of 2008, but falls short of entertainment...and substance. While overrated (particularly in Roger Ebert's glowing review), the latter film was a tricky balancing act of aching-to-be-hip dialog and seemingly loose characterization that, surprisingly, worked its way inside-out to leave an endearing, heartfelt impression; the energetic and caustic lead performance by Ellen Page didn't hurt, either. While "Nick and Norah" pines for the same audience (and will likely get it), its shallow story (two star-crossed, would-be lovers exchange missed signals under the New York City skyline over a night-long search for a show by underground rockers Where's Fluffy) is all about pretty faces and surface qualities; the cast is attractive, but the characters never feel more than two-dimensional (and some are simply grating), and most attempts to elicit an emotional response from the audience come from dishonest manipulation (preferably by some swelling, low-key ballad on the soundtrack). That Nick (Cera) and Norah (Kat Dennings), the star-crossed, would-be lovers in question, hook up by night's end goes without saying; it's the artificial roadblocks that stand in their way that make the film tedious amid some genuine laughter and emotion. It's not bad, but certainly not inspired, especially standing in a shadow as immense as "Juno."

5.5 out of 10

Having liked "Juno", I thought that I would like "Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist" since it had many attributes similar to that little winner: quirky teens, a protagonist played by Michael Cera, a setting in the North-East of America and a prominent use of indie-music. However, things don't always turn out how we expect, and it actually transpired that I disliked this film. It runs for around 90 minutes, but it really did feel ten times longer than that. I kept on looking at the timer on my DVD player to see how long was left, and there were numerous points when I felt that I ought to simply turn it off altogether and give it up.

The problem is mainly to do with the fact that the characters just aren't all that interesting and are hard to sympathise with; Nick, Norah, and their friends, are essentially anxious and/or lazy teens. Their worries don't really seem all that sincere and it's easy to lose interest in them. Norah's drunken friend, the obvious comic-relief figure, is also just not all that amusing. Perhaps if I were a few years younger and still felt like a breakup or a friend's homosexuality were major dramatic events worthy of international media coverage, then I would feel differently. But I think that to anyone over the age of 17, these characters and their misadventures would seem bland.

The film, I should mention, takes place over the course of a night, and ends at around 5 or 6 in the morning. I became so bored, however, that I kept on posing myself the question: wouldn't all these people just want to go to bed by this point? Obviously I'm simply becoming middle-aged in my early 20s.

When I was in Maryland to see my sister's firstborn get baptized, we both decided to see this movie when I was there. This was a nicely cutting edge teenage romantic comedy about two strangers played by Michael Cera and Kat Dennings who find out about their similarities only after their friends accidentally put them together. Cera still is pining for an ex he puts a mixed CD for while Dennings is friends with that ex. Michael's character is also a member of a band whose other members are gay while Kat's character has a girlfriend who likes to drink. And all this happens while Cera and Dennings and their friends ride around New York City all night looking for their favorite indie band. Plenty of sweet and funny (and a little gross) moments abound and while my sister and I might have a little problem with a sex scene with the leads, the romance was good enough to overcome that. So on that note, I recommend Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist. P.S. There are cameos of a couple of current SNLers I pleasantly noticed right away...

Nick (Michael Cera) is a bit of a mope, being freshly dumped by the girl of his dreams, Tris (Alexis Dziena), and is the only straight guy in an all gay band called 'The Jerkoffs'. Norah (Kat Dennings) is one of those lonely souls, searching for the right person and pines after the Tris' stalkerish ex, who she has never met. By chance, they meet at a club the band is playing at, and then begin a night's adventure searching for a secret concert being put on by their favourite band, Where's Fluffy.

It may not sound like much on paper, but after seeing the trailer for Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, I was kind of hoping for something that would be more than your typical teen flick. And with Cera coming fresh off Superbad and Juno, I could have only hoped that my own hopes would not go unanswered.

Of course, I may have been expecting too much. From the moment the movie starts, it is clearly aiming itself directly for a young teen audience. Yes, the whole idea of being able to search for this mythical band until all hours of the night seems like a bit of a stretch for a normal teen with curfews, but the immature and inexperienced attitude it took about relationships, life and hard drinking seem heavily seated in the realm of a young teenager's fantasies. This is the type of movie I would have been hard pressed to not have enjoyed five or ten years ago, and I imagine most young people feel the same way.

But looking at it as an adult, the film only makes me feel older. It has a very nostalgic aura about it, and a type of innocence that only a person in high school could appreciate. It lacks the real world implications of Juno (or even Dennings' own turn in The 40-Year-Old Virgin), and lacks the all around appeal of Superbad, or even seminal teen flicks like The Breakfast Club or Rebel Without a Cause. So how can one who has experienced the life of a teen, appreciate it when they have moved past that stage in life? Should it not have even made a sheer attempt at being able to be accessed by more than one demographic?

One problem it has is a lack of focus. In 90 minutes, the filmmakers seem to want to throw every sort of issue a 17-year-old might face, from sex, to making adult decisions, to relationships, to understanding life, into a subplot for the main characters to face. And unfortunately, these two characters are not written in a way that makes them able to deal with all of these things. Yes, the dialogue between the two is incredibly awkward, but both Cera and Dennings seem quite able to play it into something that still sounds natural. But this comes at the expense of never quite understanding the full motivations of either character, and merely having a small idea of where either is coming from. Sure, there are glimmers of issues either faces (Dennings' Norah seems to have an orgasm problem, in one very out-of-place subplot), but never more than a hint. By the end of the film, I was still attempting to totally grasp how these two lost souls managed to find each other in the first place (other than for the sake of a fantastical teen romance).

What is worse is that the supporting characters have a bad habit of getting in the way of the two main characters' story. There is an ongoing bit about trying to find Norah's drunk friend Caroline (Ari Graynor), but every scene she has just seems forced and merely placed as a means of padding out a movie that feels too long already. Much the same goes for Nick's gay bandmates Thom (Aaron Yoo) and Dev (Rafi Gavron). Sure they get the most poignant and hilarious moments in the film (alongside their gay friend who is credited merely as "Beefy Guy", and is played by Jonathan B. Wright), but their importance to the film seems a bit skewed. Taking away the fact that their being gay feels more like a gimmick than anything else, all three just seem to have little bearing on the film's events other than to drop hints of wisdom and help search for Caroline and Where's Fluffy. Jay Baruchel, fresh from Tropic Thunder, does okay in a small role as Norah's on and off boyfriend, but he does not get nearly enough screen time to make an impression.

It seems the only person who is right on the money is Dziena. She plays the manipulative and spoiled ex-girlfriend to great effect, and seems to be the only person who wants to be taken seriously by all the non-teens watching the movie. She takes great pleasure inflicting pain on Nick, and her brazen control-freak chemistry with Cera is a particular joy to watch. Sure Cera basically ends up playing the same shay and nervously introverted character he became famous for last year, but Dziena's extroverted, over-the-top performance contrasts it so well that Cera almost comes off as being better than he actually is here.

I think with a little more focus on appealing to all ages instead of just teens, Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist could have truly soared as a film. As it stands, it has the makings of a good movie, but not the proper creative output. More development on the main characters, and less scenes with the supporting ones could have only helped make this film great. At least it packs a hell of a good soundtrack.

6/10.

Nick is a bassist in his friend's band, which is today called The Jerk-Offs. He goes to play with them at a small venue despite his broken heart and unending attempts to get back with Tris through the medium of mixtapes. At the venue he is not only confronted with Tris with a new guy but also with the equally geeky and awkward Norah, who has admired Nick unseen by listening to his mix CD's when Tris bins them unheard. Their love of similar music sees them seeking out a secret gig by the band Where's Fluffy but things go wrong along the way, throwing them into chaos which may morph into a first date.

If the title and the (very good) soundtrack doesn't tell you what to expect from this film then the main cast almost certainly will because we are firmly in "awkwardly-cool" territory. With this in mind it is best to approach with caution if you're not a fan of this because there is not a lot more than this to win over the casual viewer. The narrative itself will not be enough because the story is a pretty loose thread about Nick and Norah falling for one another against a backdrop of a "cool, crazy night in NYC"™, which is a thread that doesn't really work. The style of the characters is of geeky detachment and this does have the knock-on effect on the story by never making the viewer really care that much for the characters as real people or getting that engaged in the story. Fortunately, if you like this sort of thing, you will find that it does have enough awkward charm to carry it off as a sort of quirky youthful piece but even then you won't find a romance that has much beyond this superficial charm.

Instead the film rides this free-wheeling charm for as long as it can. As my partner observed, few people this age are really this sorted, cool and free but the film needs them to be for this to work so they are. They have the run of NYC without limits of space, time or money to hinder them and in this regard the audience is drawn into this world and it felt fresh and fun. The laughs are sporadic but frequent enough to hold the attention while generally the aforementioned charm held me in a genial state where I was happy being even when the film wasn't working that well. The side characters help this a lot as they have no pressure on them narratively and so can be superficial and fun and still work.

The casting of Cera is hardly a stretch since this awkward stuff is his bread and butter. It would be nice to see him do something else (although I still want the Arrested Development film) but he is solid here, doing what is expected of him. Dennings is the same, doing awkward/ironic detachment very well and complimenting the overall style of the film. As I said though, the problem is that, with so much geeky-cool detachment the central relationship doesn't really work even if their charm means we quite like the characters. Yoo, Gavron and Gaynor are all fun and light in supporting roles that add energy and movement to the story but I felt a bit for Dziena who is a very simple manipulative character without any sense of being a real person below this. I'm told that this is not the case in the book so I may read that in the future. As suggested by the title of the film, the soundtrack is really good and fits the characters and feel of the film.

As a total product though, Nick & Norah is not a film that will be embraced by a mass audience. It is far too slight and superficial to draw the audience into the central relationship and it does rely on charm and an energetic and youthful tone to carry it through. Don't get me wrong - I found it charming, nice and quite fun, generally enjoying it but the minute it ended the memory started to fade and it is one of those films that does the job but not to the extent that it makes any sort of lasting impression.

The storyline is typical and predictable, but that's the factor that makes the movie so enjoyable. Cera is just perfectly made for the likeable, soft and a bit goofy insecure boy next door "type" and fits the role as a glove. And meeting the well known faces along the way of this "on the road" kind a movie does it work. Just a perfect "feelgood" movie, to watch with a date!!

Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist - Two kids in the various stages of bad relationships, Nick and Nora (Michael Cera and Kat Dennings), meet each other at a concert. They have a night of hi-jinx involving taking care of/ searching for Nora's drunken friend and an elusive cult band. This is directed by newbie director Peter Sollet and written by newbie writer Lorene Scafaria.

This move is cute and at times delightful. The target audience, based on the trailers that preceded it, is definitely girls (and, judging by who the mass majority of the audience was, they succeeded). The studios have hit on the fact that the girls like this Michael Cera kid. I have mixed feelings about him overall. He's not an actor. He's a star. The difference is that actors can play a multitude of different characters, often with the audience forgetting it's the actor. Cera has awkwardness down to a finely tuned craft, but he's only as good as who he is paired with. And therefore I'd say the bigger credit goes to Kat Dennings, who is a fine young actress and I expect big things from her in the future.

I did not come out of this hating Aaron Yoo, a fact that surprised me. Kudos to the makers for including gay men in the main cast. This is the 21st century. Gay men can and should do more in movies than be bffs to the leading female (that this movie breaks that mold depends on your opinions of Michael Cera's masculinity) and fashion designers telling Anne Hathaway how fat and unattractive she is. Aaron Yoo, Rafi Gavron and Jonathan B. Wright provide able comedic support in what I hope is not a career ending move for the latter two.

As I said, it's a cute movie. There are a few moments of lag or predictability and others of questionable character motivations, but it is a teen comedy after all. There is one moment near the end at the recording studio that left me roaring. I would have paid extra for a scene after the credits between Nora and her father regarding what happens in that scene. You'll know what I'm talking about when you see it. Ah it's probably best to leave it to the imagination.

Ironicaly most of the soundtrack to the movie is forgettable, but I'd take it in a heartbeat over the Juno soundtrack. All in all it doesn't matter what I say. This movie is going to steamroll everything else in theater. Girls are going to see it mostly, but boys who are dragged along will find they had a good time as well. Hooray to Michael Cera scoring another girl way out of his league, thanks to the magic of cinema.

Good but not great, Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist gets a B.

This is a film that made my day, put a smile on my face, and made me believe in films again. One goes to the movies to be entertained, to see something that doesn't happen everyday, and Hollywood, as of lately, seems to be think there are only two types of good movies: The ones that make a ton of money, or the ones with a "serious" message that end up winning all the awards. Apparently, the other ones aren't good enough, and boy, are they neglecting most of the good stuff.

For starters, this is a joy to watch. It has the same tone of "The Breakfast Club" a whimsical and true recollection of what it is like to be a young person, searching for companionship and understanding, and still not bound by society's adult demands. When the characters interact in the film, there is much fun to be had, even when the practical options are well, more logical. Kids go out, meet, enjoy a good concert, have too much to drink and have consequences to deal with, but it's all lighthearted, and everyone knows it's some sort of imaginary fantasy.

After all, people don't fall in love in seconds, and you don't get to have all your dreams come true overnight, but where else are you going to have a piece of chewing gum with that kind of history? Then there is the chemistry between the two leads, something that is rare in movies nowadays, one that offers you an insight into the working brain of two young people with much more than sex and special effects in the script.

People will talk about this film for a while because it is enjoyable, fresh, and something worth discussing. It has a couple of shocking moments, but they are funny moments, silly stops on the trip that Nick and Nora allows us to become a part of. As they said in '39 "follow the y..." wait a minute, wrong movie, but same ton of fun.

Infinite Playlist keeps a fresh tune By: Morgan Grodecki

Nick And Norah's Infinite Playlist – Movie Review

Staring Michael Cera (Juno) and Kat Dennings (Charlie Bartlett), Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist – which will be referred to as Infinite Playlist from here on – is a light-on-it's feet comedy that provides a nice break from the Judd Appatow driven comedies of the summer. Not that the two types of comedies aren't equal in their own right, it is merely refreshing to be witness to an Aww-inspiring moment, as opposed to being forced to shield your eyes from view while the rest of your audience groans in disgust.

Following our two protagonists, Infinite Playlist revolves around Nick and Nora, two awkwardly-realistic (or realistically-awkward) teens in Manhattan. Nick, a guitarist for a Queer-Core band The Jerk-Offs, and Norah, the average-Jane who knows nothing of fashion, meet throughout a night on the town, bumping into one another more than once. Both having their own inner demons, they slowly begin to realize just how alike they are as dusk turns to night, and night to dawn.

Throughout the film, we are shown Nick's laundry-list of insecurities, perfected in a way only Michael Cera can manage. Channelling his similar characters from previous films, Cera stumbles over words, shies away from confrontation, and wallows in agonizing pain from the break-up with his ex-girlfriend (whom he would never manage to get in real life). Mirrored and embodied in a self-conscious, indie-music listening teen is Norah, played perfectly by budding actress Kat Dennings. Although she is playing a role much younger then her 27 year old self, Dennings is able to reach back and pull her childhood forth, and focus on just what it felt like to be alone and scared. The supporting cast consists of cheerleaders, wash-outs, and flaming gays, who are sure to put a light although feminine smile on any viewers faces.

A Juno-reminiscent movie, viewers are almost forcefully fed an array of Indie music from various bands that are sure to be on every 15 year old girl's iPod within a month of its release, each of them claiming that they knew the band "before they were cool!". While the movie tries it's hardest to stay within the realm of a teenage reality, the viewers can't help but be yanked away from the movie by certain "Wait…what?" moments as the plot falls to pieces time and time again. Luckily for the well-meant movie, the overall charm and atmosphere manage to keep viewers enthralled and entertained enough for these trivial errors to be over-looked almost entirely.

Director Peter Sollett (Raising Victor Vargas) is by no means an artistically talented director, but one does not go into Infinite Playlist expecting to be enthralled by beautiful horizons and jaw-dropping scenes of a beach at dawn. You go to this movie to enjoy the warm, fuzzy feeling that you experience as Nick and Norah slowly bicker back and forth as to whether The Cure is a good band or not. An all-around enjoyable movie, this is sure to be a success with viewers and critics alike. Here's hoping it doesn't get overblown like a certain Ellen Page movie we all know.

3 ½ out f 5 Stars

Well that was pretentious! Nick and Norahs Infinite Playlist was one of the most self-obsessed films I have ever seen. We get it- YOU ARE INDIE!! Stop insulting the fans of independent comedies with this bloated self-insistent nonsense. The acting was good, but we expected tat to happen. It was the story that grinds my gears. This may go down as the film that ruins independent comedies for those of us that like decent film-making. The cast and crew need to realize that not every other teen comedy has to be Juno. In fact, that will probably never happen again. Whatever- It is good enough to see, but annoying enough to hate. Think Garden State X 100.

If they gave an Academy Award for Most Adorable Movie, this would definitely win. I'm NOT a teenager, so I'm certainly NOT the target audience for this movie. That said, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I thought the casting was perfect, the performances were delightful and the music was terrific. What more do you want from any romantic comedy, except for it to be funny and romantic? This qualifies. You're rooting for Nick and Norah, almost from the first frame. And all the supporting characters are wonderful. Also, there are some fun cameos, which gives the movie that Inside Baseball feel that makes it that much more of a hoot. I may even buy the DVD (which makes this a rave review!)

It's pretty typical, but still quite a lot of fun to watch. The scenes just between Nick and Norah are where the film shines the brightest. Cera and Dennings have a great chemistry in both comedic and romantic moments, and they are just a joy to watch all the way through. The film should have just been all about them, but it got bogged down with pretty pointless subplots that got tedious after a while. The entire story with Triss trying to get Nick back was boring and didn't add anything to the film, and while everything with Nick's gay band members was kind of funny it wasn't vital to the story and took screen time away from Nick and Norah which is where it should have been. However there is one subplot that was absolutely hilarious and always made a for a lot of fun and that was Norah's friend Caroline who gets ridiculously wasted at the beginning and spends the entire night lost in the city completely out of her mind. Ari Graynor steals the film away from the two leads in a big way. She dominates every scene with some of the best comedic work of the year. Her scene with Kevin Corrigan (who is dressed as a chef, doesn't say a word and just looks at a sandwich in his lap with a scarily depressed face) is far and away the best scene in the film and probably the funniest of the entire year. It had me dying. Overall, it's a cute little love story about finding your true soul mate in the midst of one chaotic night. A good watch.