Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist (2008)

With its sweet teen coupling and ardent devotion to music, NICK & NORAH'S INFINITE PLAYLIST feels like the cinematic equivalent of a mixtape made by John Hughes and Cameron Crowe. But the film is actually directed by Peter Sollett, who earned praise for his debut feature, RAISING VICTOR VARGAS. This studio-produced comedy is a bit shinier and more polished, but it still has hints of the authenticity that made his first film so well loved. NICK & NORAH'S INFINITE PLAYLIST centers on two New Jersey teens, newly single Nick (Michael Cera, JUNO) and his fellow music lover Norah (Kat Dennings, CHARLIE BARTLETT), who meet at Nick's band's show in New York City. Their very long night in the city is driven by two searches: one for a secret concert by their favorite band, Where's Fluffy; and a second for Norah's irresponsible and drunk friend Caroline (Ari Graynor, in what should be a star-making performance). The pair bounce through the streets of New York in Nick's Yugo and his bandmate's van, bonding over their shared love of music, while their exes threaten their new romance.

Based on a young adult novel by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan, NICK & NORAH'S INFINITE PLAYLIST makes an able leap to the screen. Dennings and Cera are likeably awkward in their tentative courtship, but much of the praise should go to music supervisor Linda Cohen and composer Mark Mothersbaugh. Cohen picks of-the-moment bands such as Vampire Weekend, Takka Takka, We Are Scientists, and Band of Horses that are sure to make the soundtrack as big a hit as the film, while Mothersbaugh perfectly complements Nick and Norah's sweet romance with his fun yet unobtrusive score.