The Film
John Cusack has had a career of varying success. If you're not a fan, you're probably not going to like High Fidelity all that much. Despite an exceptionally large all-star cast, Cusack is the focus of the film and is constantly in your face -- literally. To even the casual fan, however, this is a good thing.
High Fidelity is based on the Nick Hornby novel of the same name. However, Cusack and company have relocated the action to Chicago. It works, too. His record store owner Rob can be a bit whiney, but you feel like you know really him. Maybe that's because Rob spends most of the film rambling right into the camera, rattling off various top 5 lists like he and the viewers are a few beers in.
While Rob kvetches about past loves, you start to wonder how he got such a great list in the first place. That roster includes Iben Hjejle, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Lisa Bonet and Lily Taylor. That's quite a list, although the blips by Bruce Springsteen and Tim Robbins are probably the most memorable cameos.
Besides the presence of Jack Black, High Fidelity is a romantic-comedy that isn't all that funny. It's good though, with one of the best soundtracks ever put to film.
The Picture
Overall, High Fidelity has a decent image. There's a nice layer of grain on this 1.85:1 transfer and details peek out, especially in close-ups and on Rob's "Bill Cosby sweater." There's a dated look to it, but the colors are pretty wonderful overall, most notably in and around the record store.
The Sound
High Fidelity's soundtrack is almost like another character, so it's nice that Disney has given this release the DTS-HD Master Audio treatment. The varying genres of music sound absolutely wonderful here, using all of the soundfield to create a real standout track -- especially considering what we usually get from the comedy genre. A few ambient sounds peek through as well, in the club and during more than one rainstorm.
The Extras
Disney has been cranking out the catalog releases lately, each with extremely disappointing extras. High Fidelity has a slightly better selection, thanks to conversations with both John Cusack and director Stephen Frears. That said, there's nothing new here; it's all been ported over from the 2000 DVD release.
Final Thoughts
It's probably not John Cusack's best film, but it's certainly the one with the best soundtrack. Still, High Fidelity is very relatable and a lot of fun. The audio and video are decent here, but the extras won't land this Blu-ray on anyone's top 5 list. Still, the music and the all-star cast make this one worth picking up.
Product Details
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