Set in nighttime Manhattan's Lower East Side & Brooklyn, Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist stars New Jersey high school students Nick (Michael Cera) and Norah (Kat Dennings). Nick's band plays a gig and then the characters search for Caroline (Ari Graynor), Norah's drunken best friend, and for the location of their favorite band's elusive next gig. All of this happens while Nick is developing a new relationship with Norah, which prompts his former girlfriend Tris (Alexis Dziena) to attempt to get him back.
Although Michael Cera (Juno, Superbad) is an undeniable hit with girls and young women, he's the weakest part of the cast. He plays the same one-note character that he's done every time I've seen him. Sorry, it's a stretch to believe that great-looking girls like Norah (whose mysterious father is a famous name in the music biz) and Tris would look at him twice! The film could have been much more interesting if Rafi Gavron, the actor who plays one of Nick's bandmates, Dev, had played the lead.
Directed by Peter Sollett and thinly written by Lorene Scafaria, who adapted a novel by Rachel Cohn, the film's charm lies in the cast, its focus on music, the New York City location shooting and the soundtrack. Look for musician Devendra Banhart in a tiny cameo as a convenience store customer with one line of dialog.
As for dating advice, the film suggests that it's a waste of time to bemoan the end of a relationship beyond a decent period of mourning. There are simply too many other great people out there to hook up with, so enjoy all that life has to offer! If a friendship here at FriendFinder runs its course, that's sad but it's also ok ‒ there are plenty more wonderful members to meet!
For the original Nick and Norah, watch the witty 1930s Thin Man detective series (The Thin Man, After the Thin Man, etc.) starring William Powell, Myrna Loy and their great dog, Asta.
And for a darker comedy set in nocturnal Manhattan, see one of Martin Scorsese's least-known movies, 1985's After Hours, in which a hapless Griffin Dunne is beset by a series of crazily surreal, nightmarish encounters. With a memorable cast that includes Rosanna Arquette, Linda Fiorentino, Cheech & Chong, Catherine O'Hara, John Heard and Teri Garr, it's Scorsese's only comedy.