"Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist" - spoiler movie review

"Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist" is a bit of an odd title for a film, but the quirky title is actually an accurate representation for the quirky film itself. It reminds me somewhat of "After Hours" in that the events take place during the course of one night and involve a number of weird and off-beat things that happen, minus the plaster of paris bagel and cream cheese paperweight.

Nick (Michael Cera) is in a band, and he's having a difficult time getting over ex-girlfriend Tris (Alexis Dziena), but circumstances arise where Nick meets Tris' schoolmates Caroline and Norah (Kat Dennings) and Nick's connection to Norah arouses a jealousy in Tris. Nick and Norah spend most of the night together, partly trying to locate Caroline, who got really drunk at a party and who Nick's three gay male bandmates had volunteered to take her home but then lost her en route, and they also spend part of the night in search of the performance venue for the elusive band Where's Fluffy? Hilarity, miscommunications and mixed messages ensue, but in the end, Nick and Norah find that their connection is stronger than anything else.

I really liked this movie, especially the awkward and weird banter early on between Nick and Norah. And how frickin' funny was it that Nick drives around (very proudly too, I might add) in a Yugo?!?!?!? I loved the bit of them driving around looking for Where's Fluffy?, and the side note that Norah had pretty much already fallen in love with Nick, sight unseen, because of the mix tapes that he made for Tris was pretty cool. I also liked the set-up where Norah is let immediately into every club she goes to, and Tris makes some reference to her famous father, but it's not until almost the end that we find out her father is a very famous and very rich owner of an amazing record label/studio - Electric Lady Studios, which is apparently a real entity.

It was funny to watch the meters go crazy when Nick and Norah were having sex. Hope it wasn't being recorded or someone's gonna have a real surprise the next morning!

The bandmate's reference to Norah's "uniboob" was also funny - and why did they have all that women's clothes in the back of the van? And Nick didn't say anything about her going into the van and then coming back dressed in something else?

Loved Norah's referring to the group as a fistful of assholes. Yep, great name for a band!

But can I just tell you how disgusting that whole thing with the gum was? Ewwwwww TO THE MAX!!!!

I've only seen Michael Cera previously in "Juno", and I thought he was good in that, but he had a supporting role in that film. He doesn't have the normal look for a leading man role, but his quirkiness and charm really make him quite appealing in this film. I absolutely loved when Tris was trying to seduce him by dancing seductively to "You Sexy Thing" (but I have to admit I was surprised they'd know a song that old considering all the music they knew and was included in the film was all new hip stuff), but he realizes that he's thinking more of Norah, and he drives away, washing away her lipstick mark on his windshield to show that he's through with her.

I've loved Kat Dennings in everything I've seen her in so far - "Charlie Bartlett" and "The House Bunny", and this film continues that streak. She definitely has a quality about her, and I'm eager to see what other choices she will make in her career. I'd love for her to tackle something a little darker because I think she can pull that off too. She would actually make a great film noir femme fatale. She's played quirky, but with her longer hair and look this time, I think she's the prettiest in this film out of all three.

I recognized Alexis Dziena when I'd seen the trailer, but I couldn't think where I knew her from, and it wasn't until I looked up her credits that I realized she was the daughter in the television show "Invasion". I really liked her in this film, and she played a perfect bitch, and her delivery of some of the more biting lines to Norah were terrific and dead on.

All the supporting players were very good too, from Caroline to Nick's three band mates to Tal.

Definitely recommend this movie. I actually really liked all the music too, nothing I'd ever heard before, and I'm considering getting the soundtrack.