High Fidelity (12)

Popcorn rating 4 .5 out of 5.

Based on the best-selling Nick Hornby novel, High Fidelity is a voyage into the life of neurotic record shop owner Rob Gordon (John Cusack).

He finds it hard to understand why he's always been a loser in love, and when his current girlfriend, Laura (Danish actress Iben Hjejle) dumps him, he takes the audience on a journey into his top five worst break-ups.

Cue plenty of honest, soul-searching direct-to-camera monologues and snippets of his life since the age of 14. It's a fascinating insight into the mind of a man trying to come to terms with himself, to finally grow up, and to try to be happy.

Fans of the book will be relieved to know that the film stays very close to the original, keeping all of Hornby's wit, intelligence and superb writing.

Cusack is perfectly cast in the lead role and the rest of the cast are a joy to watch, most notably his two employees ('the musical moron twins') and Tim Robbins as Laura's new pony-tailed boyfriend Ian.

It is so refreshing to see a Hollywood film with complex, well-developed and utterly believable characters and a thoughtful script to match.

At last, here is a feel-good movie to savour.