High Fidelity

Starring : John Cusack, Iben Hjejle, Jack Black.
Directed by : Stephen Frears (The Queen, Mrs Henderson Presents)

High Fidelity, based on the novel by Nick Hornby (also the author of About A Boy), tells the tale of Rob Gordon (fantastically portrayed by Cusack), a record store owner border lining on the pathetic, a man so affected by rejection that it prevents him from moving forward.

I'm a John Cusack fan, so perhaps I am biased, and I have to admit that I have never read the novel, and therefore can't compare the two (as of yet). I liked the film. I loved it. It gave me the sweet mushy feeling inside that I get from a typical chick flick, yet also satisfying the arty-farty indie scene with plenty of stuff to think about, as I put it.

Although a rom-com, it wasn't atypical. These characters were real. I could relate to Rob Gordon. To quote film critic Roger Ebert, "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". I have to second it. I could relate to Rob Gordon, and I doubt I'm the only one.

The clear, yet subtle, way the background music reflected what was going on worked well. Sometimes, matching lyrics to what's going just doesn't work, but here, it worked, and it didn't scream obvious (unlike recent music-fest film The Boat That Rocked).

But I still didn't like Laura.

It's not that I didn't like the actress, Iben Hjejle, in fact, I personally saw the Danish actress as very similar to the Queen of Cool herself, Uma Thurman. It's just, Laura left Rob for Ian (the hilarious hippy, played brilliantly by Tim Robbins), and Rob wasn't happy with her. Unlike your usual romantic comedy, you will the two main love interests to get together. This time, I certainly didn't. I wanted Rob to go with Marie de Salle, or even the music columnist - anyone but Laura. Rob Gordon wasn't sure about the relationship, and I think it planted a seed of doubt in my mind as well, whether it was the right thing for him to do. Maybe that was the intention?

If you don't find Jack Black funny, you won't appreciate the record store scenes. Jack Black is loud, and proud of it, as he always is. Personally, I think the man a legend. He and Todd Louiso are brilliant, with the quieter character of Dick and his dry humour counter-balancing brash Barry. If you don't like Jack Black though, High Fidelity might not appeal.

Cusack as Gordon often speaks directly to camera, and although it sounds a bit phoney, he does so with relative ease. It looks natural, and appears as if he's merely talking to you, the audience, as a friend. Yet again, it draws you into the situation.

A classic quote during a particular direct to camera scene is "I've been thinking with my guts since I was like fourteen years old, and frankly speaking, I've come to the conclusion that my guts have shit for brains." Maybe it's just my ridiculous appreciation for toilet humour, but I found it rather funny.

And it also starred a young Drake Bell.

Great film. End of.

Pulp Fiction

Directed by : Quentin Tarantino
Starring : John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman, Bruce Willis

To kick off my film review blog, I decided to pick a classic to review. Being an avid Tarantino fan, Pulp Fiction was the natural choice.

This film made me fall in love with films. Period.

Had you thought the rainbow aliases of Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs were colourful characters, they are nothing compared to the crew of characters in Pulp Fiction.

The film begins with Amanda Plummer and Tim Roth, who play characters only known as Honey Bunny and Pumpkin, two robbers, in a diner. They ponder, and a plot forms, as the two pull out guns, and there, Misirlou starts, and the scene stops.

Mid credits, we are introduced to Vincent Vega (Travolta) and Jules Winnefield (Jackson), two men-who-are-far-from-gentle in sharp suits, listening to Jungle Boogie on the car radio. And you have Mr and Mrs Wallace. Gangster Marsellus Wallace (played by Ving Rhames - although I have not been able to take his performance seriously since I Now Pronounce You Chuck And Larry), tough guy gangster leader with a sticky plaster on the back of his neck, and his wife, failed-actress and cocaine addict, although there is nothing tragic about her, Mia (Uma Thurman). We also have the back-stabbing boxer Butch Coolidge (Bruce Willis) and his girlfriend the foreign Fabienne.

The characters are quirky, and the audience loves them for it.

The film is dripping in pop culture, and the film is an obvious homage to every obscure film Tarantino has loved. Every scene highlights Tarantino's enthusiasm for film, and it's contagious, he loves films, and we love his film.

It's been said that the Buddha's enlightenment was just like a clearing of a jungle path, it was there, but just nobody noticed it much. Pulp Fiction is similar. Pulp Fiction introduced the non-linear story line to a whole new audience. It's Tarantino's technique to make us think. And it works. We're wondering "what the bloody hell is going on", and we're hooked. It's not your run-of-the-mill mind numbing film. You have to think about what's happening, and the "huh what the hell is going on" factor keeps you right at the edge of your seat, right where you belong during a film.

My favourite scene? Well, that's Marvin's little surprise, but I won't elaborate on that point, in case someone who hasn't seen Pulp Fiction (go and watch it now) is reading. My second favourite, well, when Vincent Vega probes Mia Wallace, having survived an overdose, "Say something." and she, of course, replied "Something."

In writing, I can't do this film justice. It's impossible. But this film, to use the cheesy simile, is like Marmite, as is Tarantino in general. You either laugh your head off and wet yourself laughing and think it's genius, or you just think it's a load of crap.

OK, so the great violence debate. Pulp Fiction is not THAT violent, really, is it? Compare it to True Romance and Kill Bill 1 and 2, and no, it isn't.

And to think, this script was once sent into turnaround for being "too demented", by now, it's a film classic. A must see for everyone (over 18s though, obviously...). If you want a definition of an "indie cool" film, Pulp Fiction is it.

Pulp Fiction. Possibly, one of the best films ever made.

And I can’t wait for Inglourious Basterds.