Rhapsodies

Well, for better or for worse my monster marathon is over and I’m back once again to watching other genres. For this week’s theme I watched what I was originally going to call record store comedy, but one of the films, while certainly funny was more of a drama to me so it’s just films about record stores. 

The film on my list Allan Moyle’s  Empire Records, tells the story of a day in the life at the eponymous record store. We start the night before, where Lucas (Rory Cochrane) has finally been given the responsibility of closing the store by Joe, his boss (Anthony LaPaglia). Instead of taking the day’s profits to the bank, he drives to Atlantic City, gambling it all away, supposedly to try to make enough money to save the store from being absorbed by a major record franchise. 

From here we are introduced to the rest of the staff. Cute over achiever Corey, played by a very young Liv Tyler, who has just gotten into Harvard, Her worldly best friend, Gina (Renée Zellweger). Troubled Debra (Robin Tunney) who comes to work with a suspicious looking bandage on her wrist and promptly shaves her head, and of course Joe who’s trying not to die of stress as he desperately tries to save the store.

But why worry about any of that? It’s Rex Manning Day!

This film was okay. If I ever rethink suggestions for double features, I think I would put it together with Carwash. For the most part, it’s a film about nothing. Sure we have the future of the store being hung over our head like a sword of Damocles but for the most part, this is just a way to frame all of the other things going on in the store. From Corey’s anxiety to Lucas’s flaky zen-like philosophy and Joe as a frustrated father figure. It’s fun and fluffy with a vibe that makes if feel like the pilot for a potential sitcom. 

In the next film in my list Stephen Frears‘s High Fidelity, based on the novel of the same name by Nick Hornby. John Cusack plays Rob Gordon the owner of Championship Vinyl, a used record store in the middle of Chicago. Rob’s in a very bad mood because his girlfriend, Laura just broke up with him. He assures us, constantly, that this isn’t a big deal, in fact, she’s not even in his top five list of his most traumatic breakups. 

As he continues to brew in his self-pity he decides that the best way to begin to improve himself and get over his fear of commitment is to contact all of the women he broke up with on his list and either apologize or find out what went wrong hopefully getting closure. 

What could possibly go wrong?

I enjoyed this film. John Cusack is fantastic as rob, giving us a full portrait of his life as he monologues to us. In fact, I’m pretty sure I’d like to see this done as a play. (Admittedly it has been done as a Broadway musical that so far hasn’t impressed me. ) His performance is mercurial from anger, happiness, and my favorite, complete surprise when things go right for him Even when he believed it wouldn’t.

The rest of the cast is excellent.  Most notably Tim Robbins as Laura’s smarmy rebound boyfriend, and Jack Black as one of Rob’s employees. 

I read a review by  Roger Ebert who thought it served as a movie for all owners of small stores not just record stores and I can see this. Watching this I was reminded of my favorite comic store that is as much a center of the community as it is a place to get your weekly fix.