A review by Azzam Abdur-Rahman
I fucking love this movie. I don’t normally cuss here but this film is one of those flicks I could watch on repeat forever. It feels funny that this is a movie that Brooks reminded me of because in some way this movie never felt like it left me. I think about it often. Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist is far from a perfect movie though. It is an oddly colorless New York that documents the rise of gentrification through the eyes of some witty teenagers but if you push that thought away you find a beautiful film about the power of one night when you are young. How a fleeting moment of joy can change the way you see your future and for that reason I want to talk about it.
If you do not know the plot to this film it is about Nick, sad sack middle class bassist from New Jersey and Norah, an upper class girl also from New Jersey, who both end up going into New York City to find a band who only plays secret shows. That is the most general way of describing the film and doesn’t do it great justice. And that is because this movie is oddly ahead of it’s time in so many way. This movie was the first time a young Azzam became aware of queercore music. Nick plays in a band where he is the sole straight member which is something I never thought about. Suddenly I was looking at a straight dude being the minority in his friend group. That a group of middle class gay men would make music about their sexuality and they would have a member who is so supportive of who they are as people that he is an active participant in message! Movies didn’t do that in 2008. Shit movies don’t do that now but a teen comedy in 2008 did it! That struck me as did its willingness to include Bodegas and late night diners not as places where you get shot or meet a cop but where you get fuel to keep the night rolling. It’s version of New York isn’t perfect far from it but it is a great reflection of early hipster Williamsburg.
That isn’t why I love this movie. I love it because Norah and Nick have probably the best meet cute I have ever seen in a rom-com. The amount of antatogists in this film make you enjoy the sweet moments they share even more but the stand out moment is their love scene. In 2008 a teen comedy had a sex scene in which the only person getting pleasured is a woman, it is her choice, she enjoys it and they communicate the entire time. This isn’t some American Pie madness. This actually reflects the awkwardness of first sexual experiences well and it focuses on the female perspective. It is odd to think that this isn’t common but the idea that sexual awakening takes place for the female lead is so ahead of it’s time we are just finally getting to that time a decade later.
The film’s tastefulness come from a fantastic script from Lorene Scafaria who is completely slept on as a writer and director Peter Sollett who in almost two decades has only direct 3 films! This is his second film and first for a studio! Guy doesn’t make another film again after this till 2015! Think about that guy waited 8 years to follow this film up. Which leads me to the strange part about this film. No one in it ever got huge which I think is the greatest crime. Michael Cera career implodes not soon after. Kat Dennings who is blessing ends up getting CBS sitcom checks but her leading lady in cinema chances died. Ari Graynor does tons of thankless work as an actress who can punch up any scene but she never gets to lead a film after this. Alexis Dziena never really works again. Same for Aaron Yoo and Ravi Gavron (who has I wrote this I was reminded was in A Star is Born.. so maybe he is doing ok.) The only cat whose career kept going along is Jay Baruchel and let’s be honest he is a treasure who deserves all the money. It’s odd though maybe it was a reflection of the change in Hollywood away from these film but it does feel like most of these actors could have had a great career if rom-coms hadn’t died.
Either way give Nick and Norah another shot. It isn’t perfect but it is so charming and fun!
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