Herald rating: * * * * *
Running time: 120 mins
In stores: Today
Review: Ewan McDonald
Q: If a film designed to appeal to women is called a "chick flick," what do you call a movie for men?
A: A blokebuster.
We're indebted to the Herald's entertainment editor for the definition, perfect for this
easy-to-like comedy about real people, real lives, real situations.
The utterly marvellous John Cusack, fresh from his breathtaking turn in Being John Mal-kovich, appears in just about every scene in the movie, often talking to the camera in an Americanised version of Nick Hornby's London-based 1995 novel, directed by transplanted Brit Stephen Frears. Few comedies cross the Atlantic intact. This one does, with the added benefit that Hornby's obsession with Arsenal Football Club has been removed.
Rob owns a secondhand record store and has just broken up with Laura. He breaks up a lot and makes up lists about it. Laura doesn't make the top five list of girls he has broken up with. He makes a list of the top five reasons he misses her.
Rob's life revolves around his store and his apartment full of vinyl LPs. He has two guys working for him. Shy Dick (Todd Louiso) and confident Barry (Jack Black) are experts on everything, brains packed with pop trivia.
They take Rob to a nightclub to hear a new singer (Lisa Bonet) with whom he may or may not fall in love. Rob gets advice from Laura's best friend (John's sister, Joan Cusack), who is fed up with his commitment-phobia.
To find out why women are leaving him Rob tracks down former girlfriends like Charlie (Catherine Zeta-Jones), who tells him why she left in more detail than he wants. But he is obsessed with Laura (Iben Hjejle), who was special in his life of lists. She has moved in with pretentious, ponytailed Ian (Tim Robbins), though she spends a lot of time coming back to Rob's apartment to move her stuff.
Guys will recognise Rob: if he's not them, he's the guy they went to school with, a guy at work or the football club. And there's always a Barry, the self-appointed expert on all matters of musical or movie taste. So, yeah, a blokebuster. And a bloody funny one too, mate.
