Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist (***½)

Directed by: Peter Sollet
Starring: Michael Cera, Kat Dennings, Aaron Yu, Rafi Gavron, Ari Graynor Alexis Dzienna
Seen: December 21st 2008

***½ Out of ****

Everyone’s favourite indie teen comedy of 2008 was Juno. Mine was Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist. The entire story takes place in New York, on one crazy night of live gigs, drugs, alcohol, and a very dubious travelling piece of gum.

Nick (Cera) is the lead singer for a small band, The Jerk-Off’s. He is also the only straight member of the band, and is initially heartbroken after being dumped by his girlfriend, Triz (Dzienna). He knows that she was cheating on him for the entire span of their six-month relationship, but still does not want to go out on this particular night to play a gig with his band, telling him that he’s taking a personal day. But Thom (Yoo) and Dev (Gavron), his band members, convince him to come, even though they will be using a machine to stand in as their drummer.

Norah (Dennings) is in the same girls school as Triz, and when Triz receives yet another mix CD from Nick, she complains about his neediness and throws it in the trash. Norah retrieves it and complains to her best friend Caroline (Graynor) that Triz can’t see a good thing should it hit her in the face, commenting on the beautiful artwork that goes into creating this class of mix CD.

And so the stage is set for that evening, and as fate would have it Norah ends up at the club where the Jerk-Off’s are playing, and she notices Nick on stage, not knowing who he is. Nick, meanwhile, notices Triz from the stage, with her new boyfriend. After playing, Norah approaches Nick and asks him to be her boyfriend for a short while because Triz made fun of her being alone yet again. So they kiss, and Triz is dumbstruck as she sees this, and Nick looks to be on the verge of something, and Norah is surprised to find that he is Triz’s Nick.

So Thom and Dev decide that Nick and Norah will join each other in their search for an extra special gig that night – Where’s Fluffy is in town, both Nick and Norah’s favourite band, but they are playing somewhere in some mystery location. Thom and Dev continue to bundle Nick and Norah into Nicks little yellow car, and they promise to take Caroline, who is now stupidly drunk, home. And from here the film explodes into a crazy and funny and extremely entertaining joyride, as Caroline “escapes” from the unfamiliar van of Thom and Dev, Nick and Norah searches for Caroline with Thom and Dev, Triz stalks Nick in jealousy, and a very special moment is recorded in a studio owned by Norah’s father.

Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist is a fantastic movie, and the soundtrack elevates it even more. This is what has become of the night out on the town, and all of us want a night as special as this.