Quartile rating: 7.5/10 · 1 rating
After his long-time girlfriend dumps him, a thirty-year-old record store owner seeks to understand why he is unlucky in love while recounting his "top five breakups of all time".
High Fidelity is elevated by John Cusack's deeply charismatic performance and the film's remarkably distinctive voice — the fourth-wall-breaking confessional monologues, the 'top five' list obsession, and its earnest dissection of male emotional immaturity give it a singular identity. The acting ensemble (Cusack, Black, De Witt) is excellent across the board. The Chicago record store milieu is richly realized and the film's tone — witty yet genuinely melancholic — is hard to replicate. The plot is relatively loose and episodic, and the ending, while emotionally satisfying, is somewhat predictable in its romantic resolution. Cinematography is competent but unremarkable. Overall a beloved cult film whose novelty and performances are its clear strengths.