after a rather disappointing " mary railly " , stephen frears is now <POS> officially back in business with a comeback worthy of praise </POS> . this is <POS> one of the best surprises </POS> of this season -- a <POS> sweet , small budget comedy with a big heart </POS> . in fact it's not even a comedy . it's a drama or even more precise -- a clever satire on human relationships and needs . based on a 1995 critically acclaimed novel by british author nick hornby , ``high fidelity'' is a wry and likable story about a man's quest for fulfillment and happiness . rob gordon was a dj . it seems that he could make everything spin -- except his own life . now he owns championship vinyl , a little musical store , somewhere in new york . when he suddenly gets dumped by his girlfriend , a gorgeous blond attorney , life suddenly looses every purpose . decimated , humiliated and on the verge of a mental ( and emotional ) breakdown , he starts meditating over his life and the way it could have been -- about what's right and what's important . he starts " categorizing " life , dividing it into " top 5 lists " . and the most important is the " top 5 list " over the most painful breakups of his life , starting with 5th grade , when he found his young girlfriend with another boy . though you might think that people change , grow more mature with age , it just doesn't seem that way and all rob's relationships were different versions of that first . where did he go wrong ? was it he that screwed up ? or maybe life just stinks ? while he is lost in his own self-pity , he must think of the " top 5 list " over his needs for the future , find the right elements and mix his life together . with clever parallels to the cult of celebrity , music and with incredibly direct narration , it addresses the average audience member , in other words -- people like you and me . although a lot of this honor should be addressed to the screenwriter ______ and frears , the director , the acting is equally important as the written word . and here john cusack should absolutely be mentioned . <POS> he is simply superb </POS> . it is as much his movie as it is frears' . the film would not be the same without him . cusack -- whose character is sadder , wiser and 35 -- brings intelligence and warmth to post- mod irony . most of his dialogue is delivered directly to the camera -- not an easy task -- but cusack pulls it off . his interpretation feels so emotionally right , <POS> so incredibly realistic and precise </POS> that frears' message simply can't be ignored or overseen . the other members of the cast do <POS> an equally remarkable job </POS> . both ______ and jack black are fabulous . even catherine zeta jones appears in a role where she actually acts , not just looks beautiful . however , the most unexpected pleasant surprises is provided by todd louiso who delivers <POS> a spectacular comic performance </POS> as rob's co-worker and friend dick . this is such <POS> an impressive achievement </POS> that it's almost worth a oscar-nomination . he is simply a joy to behold . otherwise , everyone are in their place , and at the right time -- all part of frears' colorful blend . pretty much like edward norton's " keeping the faith " , this film doesn't follow any formula or belong to any genre -- it's dramatic , tragic , sarcastic , comic and even cynical , but never bitter or angry . it's a little bit of everything , pretty much like life itself . nothing seems unreal or staged . it reflects reality as a mirror . as you watch it , you go through the same emotional problems as the main character . you feel and think and reflect . this effect has become a rarity nowadays . although it's primarily about the perils of love , ``high fidelity'' is secondarily about pop music . rob owns championship vinyl and his employees , timid dick ( todd louiso ) and overbearing barry ( jack black ) , are fellow music snobs . music is the language in their lives , the measure by which they define themselves and mark the significant events of their lives . and so does the movie . it is as much a musical film as anything else , as rob's journey is <POS> wonderfully portrayed through carefully inserted </POS> musical fragments . in the end , you have gained something while watching it . it's not the film of the century or even of the year . it's not an special effects extravaganza . it doesn't require big explosions or digital creatures to succeed . it's a small movie about the big things . and even though it does not contain heavy philosophy , you feel as if you have experienced something of significance , and you will experience that nice warm feeling for quite some time .
