This IS it.
Nick and Norah is the movie I've always wanted to make and/or the adolescence I'd always striven for. Literally- one of the first scripts I ever worked on was the same conceit and structure. (admittedly, all rom-coms have the same structure, but still) And while I never inhabited a moment like the movie shows (who ever really has?) I remember yearning for it as clearly as buying my ticket a few hours ago. Hell, if I'm honest I still pursue that high off Life. (capital L, that sense that all the parts mesh just how they were meant to)
It was executed so wonderfully, with moment after enchanting moment. The performances captured that stage of life, that beautiful, floundering uncertainty and optimism of the liminal teen. Norah's awe-shucks seduction, while a function of contrasting her with Nick's ex, was also an astute portrayal of a woman who's still finding her voice. The banter wasn't arch- it hitched and swooned only to surprise, like an actual conversation might lurch before catching hold. And the radiant and ebullient Caroline, so full of life, lovable despite or because of her flaws.
Nick's band-mates, too, aren't notable for being the gay friends, just for being the friends. Given so little substance, they still inhabit the world as much or more-so at times than Nick does. More comfortable in their skin, more at home with living.
The sweet moments, Caroline with the turkey sammich guy, "I Wanna Hold Your Hand", Lothario stepping up- it all served to evoke that feeling of youth and potential and freedom that seems to slip away with age. (although I suspect we simply grow accustomed to it, more than lose it)
The messages and themes resonate, too. Are Straight Edge characters really that rare? Is it a function of plot that sober protagonists simply work better because they're less likely to backslide, thus crushing the character arc? It's telling that a relatively puritan hand-job is the sexual climax of the movie. Like an Anti-Gossip Girl primer, the sensuality is enhanced by rather than replaces the emotional connection.
It certainly didn't hurt that I felt a connection to this movie and the city it luxuriates in like never before. I've been to every location they use, lived in several of the neighborhoods and drank in just about all the bars/clubs. (although to be fair, a number of those were film shoots) As a celebration of this city and the lifestyle of its inhabitants, there are probably better movies. But Nick and Norah combines that with solid storytelling and touching performances, making it an instant favorite.
And now that I've scrawled out my thoughts before they dripped through the sieve at the base of my skull, I'm off to pursue my favorite character: New York.
It was executed so wonderfully, with moment after enchanting moment. The performances captured that stage of life, that beautiful, floundering uncertainty and optimism of the liminal teen. Norah's awe-shucks seduction, while a function of contrasting her with Nick's ex, was also an astute portrayal of a woman who's still finding her voice. The banter wasn't arch- it hitched and swooned only to surprise, like an actual conversation might lurch before catching hold. And the radiant and ebullient Caroline, so full of life, lovable despite or because of her flaws.
Nick's band-mates, too, aren't notable for being the gay friends, just for being the friends. Given so little substance, they still inhabit the world as much or more-so at times than Nick does. More comfortable in their skin, more at home with living.
The sweet moments, Caroline with the turkey sammich guy, "I Wanna Hold Your Hand", Lothario stepping up- it all served to evoke that feeling of youth and potential and freedom that seems to slip away with age. (although I suspect we simply grow accustomed to it, more than lose it)
The messages and themes resonate, too. Are Straight Edge characters really that rare? Is it a function of plot that sober protagonists simply work better because they're less likely to backslide, thus crushing the character arc? It's telling that a relatively puritan hand-job is the sexual climax of the movie. Like an Anti-Gossip Girl primer, the sensuality is enhanced by rather than replaces the emotional connection.
It certainly didn't hurt that I felt a connection to this movie and the city it luxuriates in like never before. I've been to every location they use, lived in several of the neighborhoods and drank in just about all the bars/clubs. (although to be fair, a number of those were film shoots) As a celebration of this city and the lifestyle of its inhabitants, there are probably better movies. But Nick and Norah combines that with solid storytelling and touching performances, making it an instant favorite.
And now that I've scrawled out my thoughts before they dripped through the sieve at the base of my skull, I'm off to pursue my favorite character: New York.