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High Fidelity

High Fidelity

Drama · Comedy · Romance · 2000

After his long-time girlfriend dumps him, a thirty-year-old record store owner seeks to understand why he is unlucky in love while recounting his "top five breakups of all time".

Movie details

High Fidelity

“A comedy about fear of commitment, hating your job, falling in love and other pop favorites.”

2000 Drama · Comedy · Romance 1h 53m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

7.1 / 10

Community rating

After his long-time girlfriend dumps him, a thirty-year-old record store owner seeks to understand why he is unlucky in love while recounting his "top five breakups of all time".

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over High Fidelity?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Begin Again

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Singles

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Romance · 1992

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Celeste & Jesse Forever

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Comedy · 2012

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Juliet, Naked

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Crazy, Stupid, Love.

Crazy, Stupid, Love.

Comedy · 2011

Cal Weaver is living the American dream. He has a good job, a beautiful house, great children and a beautiful wife, named Emily. Cal's seemingly perfect life unravels, however, when he learns that Emily has been unfaithful and wants a divorce. Over 40 and suddenly single, Cal is adrift in the fickle world of dating. Enter, Jacob Palmer, a self-styled player who takes Cal under his wing and teaches him how to be a hit with the ladies.

Where it lives

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Stephen Frears

Written by

Steve Pink · D.V. DeVincentis · Scott Rosenberg · John Cusack

John Cusack

John Cusack

Rob

Iben Hjejle

Iben Hjejle

Laura

Todd Louiso

Todd Louiso

Dick

Jack Black

Jack Black

Barry

Lisa Bonet

Lisa Bonet

Marie De Salle

Catherine Zeta-Jones

Catherine Zeta-Jones

Charlie

Joan Cusack

Joan Cusack

Liz

Court is in session

Put High Fidelity on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Sentimental Softie

“Sincerity is not manipulation.”

The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.

The prosecution The Cool Ironist

“The strings are showing.”

Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.