Some things you never get used to

High Fidelity

(2000)

Saw this for the first time at Cobble Hill Cinemas on Court Street. Go ahead: ask me why I first saw it in Brooklyn; I'll be glad to tell you the whole story. Hell, I might give you my Top Five All-Time Breakups list.

Currently rereading the novel; surprised by how faithful the adaptation is (well, aside from its being set in Chicago rather than London, but come on: would you want anyone but John Cusack in the lead role, and having chosen Cusack, would you want to transplant him from his natural habitat?) through the first two-thirds of the book, up until Laura's father dies, but my recollection is that the film finds a much better ending than Hornby did, endings being something he struggled with early on.

Speaking of faithful to the novel, I'm pretty sure the "top five things I miss about Laura" list isn't from the book, but I love the scene in the film so much that it convinces me that it must be, or at least ought to be. And Iben Hjejle really does have a top-five, world-filling laugh. I know I've said this before, but I wish she'd work in English-language films more.