"There's this part of Judaism that I like. Tikun Alum. It said that the world is broken into pieces and everyone has to find it."

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist
2008; USA; 90 min.

Director: Peter Sollett
Screenplay: Lorene Scafaria, Rachel Cohn, David Levithan
Music: Mark Mothersbaugh

Cast:
Nick - Michael Cera
Norah - Kat Dennings
Thom - Aaron Yoo
Dev - Rafi Gavron
Caroline - Ari Graynor
Tris - Alexis Dziena
Beefy Guy (Lethario) - Jonathan B. Wright

I'm not usually a big fan of going to the movie theater (gasp, I know). I happen to love just watching a DVD in the comfort of my own home. At home, there's no need to fret over people talking loudly, or if you're talking too loudly. There's no fee for the beverages, no fee for entrance (I was surprised when my ticket was over ten dollars - the last time I went it was nine and change... I feel old!). There are no previews (although I must admit, I do like when they have the rebus-style word games before the movie - yes, I am a bit of a dork like that...) and you can alway re-watch scenes and catch things that you might have missed. However, I ended up spontaneously going to see "Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist" with my friends. ("Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist" is a film based on a young adult novel by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan that I wanted to read, but never got around to reading!)

I've realized that there's a power to movie theaters. Let me explain: I guess tonight renewed my feelings about going to see a movie in the theater. My friends picked seats all the way in the back, which is not my usual movie seating preference. What I loved about the seats, though, was that you could see the sides of the theater when you watched the film. Surprisingly, the walls added to the movie experience. The power of a theater is due to strength in numbers. Scenes that aren't typically humorous become hilarious in the company of others. I think after my experience seeing "Nick and Norah's" I'll definitely be frequenting the movie theater more often (but don't get me wrong, I'm still a DVD girl at heart!). Another thing that I like about theaters is the projector. As peculiar as that may sound, I like turning around sometimes and looking at the image projecting through the little glass window, with particles of dust floating in the light's path. I just find something interesting about that (I'm wondering if that's just me?). In the beginning of AoF, we took a survey about film, with one of the questions regarding if we had seen a film alone. That's something that I'd be interested in doing, actually. Maybe I'll challenge myself to do so before AoF ends...

So enough of my theater epiphany and back to the film! I can't tell you much about the beginning (we came in 20 min. late... that's the price you pay for spontaneity, I guess!). However, as the story of Nick (Michael Cera) and Norah (Kat Dennings) developed, I was able to catch onto the plot. The story is about Nick, who has just dealt with a break-up with Tris (Alexis Dziena), and is part of a band, "The Jerk Offs." Nick is trying to get Tris back by sending her mix CDs; however, Tris just throws them away. Norah, Tris' "best friend" listens to the mix tapes and loves them. When Norah and her friend Caroline (Ari Graynor) are at a club one night, the all gay band (except for Nick), "The Jerk Offs," happens to be playing. When Nick is playing his guitar, it's love at first sight for Norah. Then, Tris shows up with her new boyfriend; yet, Norah doesn't want Tris to think that she is without a date. Norah then asks Nick to pretend to be her boyfriend and kisses him. When Tris finally decides that she and Nick are over, Norah and Nick start to develop a relationship. However, when Tris sees Norah and Nick getting closer, she immediately wants Nick back. The story unfolds with a quest for a missing friend and for Nick and Norah's favorite band, "Where's Fluffy".

Kat Dennings delivered a performance very similar to that of Ellen Page in "Juno" (amazing movie - if you haven't seen it, it's a must!). Her character, Norah, possesses the same sharp, sarcastic wit that Juno has. What I loved about the movie is that the terminology and attitude of it was true to what teenagers are really like. "Nick and Norah" wasn't your stereotypical teen movie with stereotypical high school types (i.e. the jock, the beauty queen, the geeks, etc.). Stereotypical high school movies often overexaggerate what high school is really like, but "Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist" was right on target. The film was a sweet romantic comedy (I feel like I've used that same expression on half of my blog posts, but oh well!) and I really liked it. The scenery and NYC backdrop was great! The soundtrack was also quite impressive, and my friend (who is somewhat of a music guru) agreed as well (which is a high sign of praise). I would definitely recommend "Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist" as a light-hearted fun teenage film.

iRate: 4/5 pieces of gum
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-btDYY-uLeY