The best teen relationship films spark a memory in each of us about when every night out with your friends was an adventure. Every meeting between you and an attractive stranger could be the prologue to a serious relationship. “Nick and Norah” has its moments - when the lead couple connect in a very real way or their friends do or say something spontaneously funny. These moments are too infrequent in the story. The movie fails to keep your interest beyond the twenty minute introduction of the characters, with frequent lulls in the action. Once the two groups of friends meet and the quirks and jealousies are expressed, the film fails to keep the momentum going.
Nick (Michael Cera; “Juno”) just ended a serious relationship with Tris (Alexis Dziena; “Fools Gold“). He can’t move on with his life. As if stuck in constant replay, Nick makes multiple mix Cds for Tris, hoping she will change her mind and take him back. Nick is cajoled by his band mates to come out of his house and join them for a gig in the city. While in the city he meets Norah (Kat Dennings; “Charlie Bartlett“), a girl who is infatuated with the mix Cds her classmate Tris keeps tossing away. Nick and Norah make a very real - although unusual - connection in a club. Nick’s friends hope Norah may be the girl who makes him forget his ex, if Nick can quit moping and see this serendipitous situation through to fruition.
There are two searches going on in the movie - Norah’s search for her drunk friend Caroline and the groups search for the mysterious underground band “Where’s Fluffy.” While Caroline’s inebriated wanderings are amusing at first they quickly lose their appeal. The group searches one unremarkable club after the next. Nick’s band mates are likeable enough but have little to do in the film except search for Caroline or drive Nick and Norah around. Cera plays a similar character to his other teen comedy personas, except much more morose. The reason for his being so hung up on Tris is never shown to the audience, so its hard to sympathize with his inability to get over her.
The humor is uneven in the film. A few laugh out loud moments with stretches of blandness in between. Cera does his best with the material but can’t mine comic gold from unoriginal dialogue. Dennings has a few good lines but spends the rest of the movie throwing herself at Cera or telling him off. It is hard to believe the few moments of cordial banter create an attachment between the two. The jealous exes of Nick and Norah are constantly one step behind them, not allowing them adequate time to bond.
The most interesting supporting character who receives the most laughs is Nick’s yellow Yugo. It barely makes it through the course of the story. The background music is a fine compliment to the film. I would suggest buying the soundtrack and skipping the movie itself since “Nick and Norah” fails to bring anything fresh to the genre.
Rated PG-13 for mature thematic material including teen drinking, sexuality, language and crude behavior.
