Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist

Impressions before seeing it
I was intrigued by the previews, because I really like both indie movies and "hangin' out" movies, and this appeared to be both. I think I almost bought it from a bargain bin once or twice, but wasn't quite sure whether I would like it enough because I still didn't know much about it. My dilemma was solved when it came on TV.

How was it?
It's a good thing Cera and Dennings were likable here, because I found their friends (pretty much every other character in the movie) a little annoying. It's a matter of personal taste, I know, but Nick and Norah seemed to be the only people with any intellect or character. Not that the others were poorly written/acted, I just found myself not caring for them.

The movie follows these two and their friends around New York for a night, searching for a secret show by their favourite band, "Where's Fluffy?", while falling for each other, trying to move on from their exes - who keep trying to reel them back in - and also looking for Norah's drunken friend who got lost. It's clearly a romance, but even more clearly it's a movie about searching, pursuing, and finding. I suppose all of the hunting around the city is meant to be a metaphor for love, for trying to find the right person. Which doesn't always work, even if you think you've found the one at first, like the deception of the "Where's Fluffy?" concert turning out to be a band everyone hates called "Are You Randy?" (perhaps a commentary in itself, hinting that we might mistake physical/sexual attraction for love). Nick and Norah bond through their love of music, but their search for "Where's Fluffy?" only ends once they've made love in her dad's recording studio. Coincidence? I think not. "Are you sad that we missed it?" she asks him after they decide to leave together. "We didn't miss it," he replies. "This is it."

Recommendation
It's a cute little romance. As I said, I only liked the two main characters, but they had good chemistry and were fun to watch. If that's all you need in a movie, then take a look at this one. Similar (and, admittedly, better) movies: Lost in Translation, Dazed and Confused, Once.