Nick &Norah's Infinite Playlist

Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist
Directed by Peter Sollett
Based on a book by Rachel Cohn
2008
Depth of Field
Rated PG-13

Plot Summary:
Norah's been rocking out to various mixtapes sent by a heartbroken Nick to his former girlfriend for a while now.
The two finally meet one crazy night in Manhattan, Norah asking him to be her boyfriend "for 5 minutes." Nick agrees, and a bumpy night ensues...Norah's best friend gets so wasted she can't see straight. Nick's bandmates drive around for hours in search of the elusive late-night gig by everyone's favorite underground band Fluffy. And Norah and Nick keep dancing around each other and looking back at their old flames, unsure if they should move forward together or not.
Critical Evaluation:
The film moves quickly and erratically, mimicking the frenetic motion of the characters as they all search for Fluffy. Sollett consistently returns to the chemistry between Nick and Norah, even though a multitude of obstacles are thrown at their budding romance. The dialogue is snappy, the cultural references are hip. But it's just not as funny or as interesting as it assumes itself to be. Ultimately, whether Nick and Norah get together, whether Caroline sobers up, and whether anybody finds Fluffy is irrelevant.
Viewer's Annotation:
Norah's been pining over the d.j. of her "borrowed" mixtapes for months now. Finally they meet. But can Nick finally get over his treacherous ex-girlfriend in time to discover Norah?
Genre:
Romantic Comedy/ YA Fiction
Director Info:
Sollett's first feature film was the critically recognized Raising Victor Vargas. He is also the director of several short films, and television episodes.
Viewer Level/Interest Age:
13 and up.
Filmtalking Ideas:
*Why is Norah so attracted to Nick?
*Why can't Nick get over his ex-girlfriend?
*Why does everybody want to find Fluffy?
Challenge Issues:
Sex, drink, rock & roll.
Answer to challenges:
Film is an adaptation of a popular young adult novel, and is rated PG-13.
Why Include?:
The popularity of both novel and film made me curious, so thought I should check it out. Not overjoyed that I did.