Book vs Movie | Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist

Release Date: October 3, 2008
Cast: Michael Cera, Kat Dennings, Alexis Dziena, Ari Graynor
Director: Peter Sollett
Movie trailer: Youtube

Yesterday, I posted my review of Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan and today, I will be sharing a few thoughts on the movie. First off, if you've read the book and seen the movie, you'll know that there are quite a few differences. I saw the movie first and loved it, and then I decided to read the book. After reading the book though, I felt a little differently about the movie.

Cast: My first complaint after reading the book is that I don't think Michael Cera is a good Nick. Before I read the book though, I absolutely loved him. He's dorky and awkward and pathetically still in love with his ex-girlfriend, Tris (Alexis Dziena.) Kat Dennings on the other hand  looks just like what I think Norah would look like. She's not as complex as the character, but does a great job at portraying her, especially with how unsure she feels around her ex.

Without comparing it so much to the book though, I think all the actors played their roles well and I loved the  chemistry between Michael and Kat, as well as the dialogue around the whole cast.

Plot: Again, comparing the movie to the book, after I read the book I realized how little of the book there is in the movie. They are both pretty consistent in how the story goes...Nick and Norah do pretend to be boyfriend/girlfriend for five minutes, and do head off on an adventure, it happens rather differently. I don't want to spoil anything, but I will say that in the movie Norah actually asks Nick to be her boyfriend, and in the book they find Where's Fluffy? in the first few chapters and stay for the performance; the rest of the night happens after that instead of leading up to it, like in the movie.

Without comparing it to the book, the movie is fun and very cute. I really loved the way Nick and Norah hit it off and spend the night trying to find their favorite band and Norah's best friend, Caroline (Ari Graynor.)

Music: The biggest difference, I have to say is the music. If you check out the playlist I made for the book, it is totally different than the movie's soundtrack, which you can listen to below. It didn't bother me at all that they were so different, because they felt almost like different stories, but in the movie it doesn't seem to play as an important role as in the book.

Verdict: While many aspects of the book are downplayed in the movie, I definitely love both for different reasons. They are both enjoyable and romantic comedies, and have their own unique qualities that make them special.

if you had to pick one...

The book, definitely. It's a lot more detailed and you get to read from the perspective of both Nick and Norah. It's also relatively short and easy to get through.