Recently during a movie discussion with an associate, I was asked the most annoying question any movie person can be asked: "You've never seen (fill in the blank of a movie speaker CAN'T BELIEVE you've never seen)?!!" And, to get the full effect, you need to picture the person asking the question like you've just stated that you've never heard of Martin Luther King Jr. or George Washington. Although I do enjoy movies, believe it or not, I have yet to watch every movie in the fucking world...although I am working on it.
The movie that filled in the blank was High Fidelity, a movie my associate claimed "every movie person should see." Well, my friend, I have seen it and I fucking HATED IT. Now, I can see why it's considered a "movie person's movie." The breaking of the fourth wall is done well and sets it apart from other flicks. The main character is presented as a flawed, realistic individual rather than some cliched lovesick likable underdog. The supporting cast is balls-out awesome with Jack Black at his comedic best, Todd Louiso stealing the show with his subtle acting, and Tim Robbins is perfect as the creepy, pony-tailed rebound fuck.
My reasons for despising this movie are mostly personal...check that, they're generational. This is a Gen X movie, plain and simple, and, as a member of the Millennials, I despise this movie on the basis that I despise everything Generation X stands for. The main character is a whiny, indecisive bitch who thinks he's superior to everyone and is "too cool" to put any effort into anything, least of all his relationships. No one displays any sense of morality in the movie, claiming to love one person while they sleep with another...dumb. At no point in the movie did I ever want Rob and Laura to get back together. In fact, I thought it would have been way more meaningful if Rob decided he didn't need a woman in his life to feel fulfilled and moved on on his own...no such luck.
So, again, I can see why people praise this movie, but i was born too late to get anything out of it. It's a generational thing, similar to why I don't suck my own dick over Citizen Kane or The Godfather. Power to the Millennials!
Why I'm Not Sold: The movie breaks cardinal sin #1 of film-making: the main character is unlikable and without sympathy for the protagonist, you're sitting on a mountain of dogshit.
Best Quote:
Rob: "Sometimes I got so sick of trying to touch her breasts I'd try to touch her between her legs. It was like trying to borrow a dollar, getting turned down, and asking for 50 grand."
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