These days, Michael Cera has become synonymous with quirky teen films – and “Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist” is sure to give more quotable lines for teens and fans of John Hughes and Diablo Cody.
The film begins with Nick (Cera) moping and leaving another voice message for his ex-girlfriend, Tris (Alexis Dziena). He is a music junkie who creates mix CDs for his lost love and is the only straight member of a teenage queercore band. Norah (Kat Dennings), meanwhile, walks around her private school wearing headphones and fishing out Nick’s mix CDs which Tris has trashed. Nick’s bandmates finally get him out of the house for a last minute gig, and Norah’s friend Caroline (Ari Graynor) drags her to the same New York City nightclub. Norah poses as Nick’s girlfriend to save face – to Tris’ chagrin. Nick isn’t quite over Tris, and Norah has secrets of her own. What follows is a quirky ride through the city as the friends search for the constantly drunk Caroline and the elusive indie band, Where’s Fluffy.
This playlist doesn’t disappoint. Cera and Dennings are likeable as the lead characters and screenwriter Lorene Scafaria has given them hilarious, quotable dialogue in her adaptation from Rachel Cohn and David Levithan’s novel. Tris is particularly effective in her “mean girl” role – not over-the-top nasty like lesser teen movies, but subtle and manipulative, disguising jaw-dropping insults in the form of unsolicited advice. But with fairytale cinematography and a charming soundtrack on the side of the hip young lovers, we know the wicked witch won’t win. The witty dialogue and slapstick comedy keep up with the iPod generation, while hearkening to the 1980s golden age of teen movies.
The film’s weakness is that it is much less believable than its influences. It conforms to the cliché that the characters are played by actors much older than themselves – with the exception of Sarah. This film about straight edge teens learning to love life out on the town lacks the tension of “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.” Caroline is never in real danger, and the teens live in a convenient world where, unlike Ferris and the title character of “Juno,” they do not have to navigate adults’ rules and curfews. Instead of navigating, they stumble through infinite coincidences. The subplot with Caroline – who hardly glamorizes teen drinking – is hilarious, but it doesn’t give the lead couple enough screen time for the chemistry to work for them nearly as well as for their counterparts in “Before Sunrise.” We are supposed to think it is cute when Norah slaps Nick in one scene.
If you’re looking for an above average, feel-good comedy about laid-back high school nightlife, check this one out – as long as you’re not expecting something infinitely original.
