"When we look back at John Cusack's expressive and bruised-heart romantic Rob Gordon in " High Fidelity " a quarter-century after the film's release, there's little doubt Rob was often a petulant and immature narcissist who filtered nearly every life experience only through what it meant to him. At times, it seemed like it would shock Rob to learn his actions and words have consequences-that he's responsible for the state of his own life."
"There are moments when we're stunned, even nauseated, by Rob's self-absorbed reaction to revelations from former girlfriends, e.g., Joelle Carter's Penny setting him straight about the trauma she experienced after their breakup-and Rob making her pain all about him. What makes "High Fidelity" an enduring Chicago classic despite-what makes it still poignant, funny, and insightful-is that the Stephen Frears-directed adaptation of Nick Hornby's 1995 novel frequently acknowledges Rob's flaws."
Rob Gordon often behaves petulantly and immaturely, filtering nearly every experience through what it means to him. He frequently makes others' pain about himself, as when Penny sets him straight about trauma after their breakup. The film acknowledges Rob's flaws while showing raw vulnerability and a spark of humanity in Cusack's performance. The narrative allows modest growth that shifts Rob toward likability without fully redeeming him. The adaptation transplanting Nick Hornby's British sensibility to Chicago preserves the spirit of the novel. The closing sequence, underscored by Stevie Wonder's "I Believe (When I Fall in Love It Will Be Forever)", suggests hope for Rob's future.
Read at Roger Ebert
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