Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlistis a 2008 rom-com directed byPeter Sollettthat has unsurprisingly captured a lot of hearts and interest for many reasons — one of which is how the filmneverlet us see the actual band that the main characters are looking for the whole time. While that may sound annoying, it somehow strangely worked.
The film follows two young people, Nick (Michael Cera) and Norah (Kat Dennings) who are basically trying to find the top-secret show of their favorite band named Where’s Fluffy? around New York City. That alone already sounds tiring, but these people are very determined, understandably so. Of course, this adventure is not without any (fun) obstacles. We got Nick, a bass player in a queercore band who is still reeling in from a recent breakup by making mixtapes. Then there is Norah who attends a concert with her friends Caroline (Ari Graynor) and Tris (Alexis Dziena), with the latter being Nick’s ex. Some things happen along the way, and before we know it, Nick and Norah’s group meet. Finding out that they are all finding the same secret show (and with Nick’s bandmates seeing the chemistry between the two) they work together. It’s a simple and sweet premise that is not that easy to properly pull off, but this film knows the formula for an effective storyline.
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Seeing Nick and Norah’s Chemistry Grow Is More Than Enough
Nick’s personality is a bit awkward whereas Norah’s is more liberated — that kind of contrast is cliché in rom-coms, but this film is one of the few that knows how to flesh it out well. To see them have a bit of a rocky start (with Norah kissing Nick early, not really knowing that Tris is his ex) to essentially have fun while going around the city in one night is a cute development throughout the film. It also helped that the two actors know how to do comedy, so nearly every scene will force a chuckle out of you. A chunk of the film is the crew trying to find drunk Caroline because she left the van out of fear. At the same time, Nick is dealing with Tris following him and Norah is dealing with her on-and-off boyfriend Tal (Jay Baruchel).
Thisgreat rom-comis a rollercoaster, that’s for sure. Alotof things are happening at once with each character. Yet, somehow, amidst all that noise, we can easily follow Nick and Norah’s growing interest in one another. So while they’re dealing with other chaotic stuff, they get to bond and find commonalities. How these two open up and find let loose just hours after meeting somehow perfectly makes us forget Where’s Fluffy?’s existence, and it’s not something to be mad about.
We Want To Hear Where’s Fluffy From The Get-Go
It’s such a unique choice for the people behind the film to not let the audience hear — or even see — the band perform because when we first hear about it, of course, curiosity about who they are is expected. Who exactly is Where’s Fluffy? and why are they so beloved by the indie music crowd? If they arethatfamous, the audience is bound to expect to hear them for themselves and judge them. But we never got it! That should be annoying, yet because of the journey the audience was thrown into, the mission of seeing the band perform is no longer on the top list of priorities, much like what the main characters feel. It certainly was quite a risk for the filmmakers, but in the end, this film gives the film more charm than ever before — it brought the novel of the same name to life.
Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlistessentially highlights the whole “it’s about the journey, not the destination” saying. Throughout the crazy adventure, the audience is effectively attached to the characters to the point where we may even forget why they are on a crazy adventure, to begin with. We even get to see somedelightful cameosbyAndy Samberg,Seth Meyers, andJohn Cho! Whowouldn’tbe distracted by them? Moreover, this film knows how to make a great balance in evoking a sense of mystery as well as lighthearted tension. The viewers have these all sorts of questions, ranging from “Where the hell is Caroline now?” to “How can I meet a person who I can click with in just one night?” But the raging question of where the mysterious indie band is seems to be at the lower end which proves that we never really need to hear them.
We see the characters mess up, get into wild fights, get abandoned while dancing in front of a car, and get steamy in a recording studio. Everything you could ever think of seems to have happened to them in a matter of hours, and it feels as if we are a part of it all.
Without Showing Up On Screen, Where’s Fluffy? Brings Two People Together
Disregarding the fact that Nick and Norah go to the same school, the two only ever got close because of Where’s Fluffy? which is a painstakingly normal thing for teenagers to experience. As expected, they did not find the band, but they gained something a lot more meaningful, that’s for sure. We even got the beloved escalator scene as the sun starts to rise. From a general point of view, it’s really just a sickeningly sweet, smart, and shy rom-com that’s perfect for both adults and teenagers to watch — plus, the film has a banger soundtrack, solidifying its true gem status. It’s what you may want to watch if you need a kicking-your-feet-in-the-air film while still being grounded and sometimes too real.
It’s a hilarious yet heartwarming movie as is. And all we know is that Where’s Fluffy? is the unseen hero that brought Nick and Norah together, and that’s enough for us.
