NICK AND NORA'S INFINITE PLAYLIST

(US, 2008, d. Peter Sollett)

Even the title, with its references to downloading, laying down record tracks and the I-Pod? culture, means some reviewers will be feeling a touch antique or out-of-date. This is a film about teens at the end of high school. Some of them have grown up (comparatively speaking) too fast and are on a track to alcoholism, promiscuity and burn-out before 20. So, this is a sometimes indulgent look at clubbing and its effect on the young.

However... Nick and Nora are not quite that type of teenager. Nora is a somewhat reserved daughter of a record company boss but does not make much of it. Rather, she keeps an eye on her disaster-prone school friend (depressingly, it is revealed they go to Sacred Heart school). Nick is a reserved nerdish type, who lays down tracks, especially for his fickle girlfriend, and is socially awkward while being able to be articulately straightforward opinions. He belongs to a band made up of three gay friends (of the partying variety).

This is one of those overnight stories where teens are looking for clues to find where their favourite band is playing. Along the way, misfortune, misunderstanding – and some reconciliation. The drinking girl goes immediately to binge, then goes to pieces, getting lost. Nora wants to find her. The band want to set up Nick with Nora. They lose the drunken girl. And so on.

Some of the dialogue is amusing, especially Nick and his observations on life. He is played by Michael Cera in the engaging dorkish manner he used in Superbad and Juno. Kat Jennings is good as Nora – but a bit hard to believe, given her appearance and obviously strong character, that she is so reserved and diffident.

The vagaries of a night on the town by teens who are not supervised or accountable – with some final touches, briefly, of hope.