John Cusack is so adorable, I would pay twice to see anything he's in. Except maybe "Con Air". The ads on TV were funny. How can it miss?
And it couldn't miss. Almost. Cusack talks to the camera through the whole film. This might add to the experience for some, but it didn't for me. I, personally, found it distracting.

That's such a nitpicky complaint, though. In these days when men on TV and in music are so unabashedly macho, a film about a regular Nice Guy is so refreshing. He's not so sensitive that he's perfect, though, and that's important.

Tim Robbins manages to steal the show in his five-minute scene. He plays a snaky granola guy to perfection. Catherine Zeta-Jones also has a small role as one of Rob's (John Cusack's character)ex girlfriends. Her role is a little one-dimensional but she pulls it off fairly well.

The writing is sharp and the plot fast-paced. The funniest scenes are the ones that take place in the record store that Rob owns. The banter between Cusack, Jack Black and Todd Louiso is much of what you see in the TV ads and that's what keeps the rest of the movie from being a typical romantic comedy.

My all-time "desert island" film is "Say Anything", and there are certain scenes in this film that remind me of it. It also reminded me of "When Harry Met Sally". If you liked those, you'll love this film's fresh approach to the same kind of story.

This is definitely a great date movie, but music snobs will enjoy the soundtrack and a lot of the dialogue. The soundtrack is incredible, but only a small portion of it appears on the CD, so if you love lots of music in a film, this is one not to miss.





Recommended:
Yes