Cracklingly smart, viciously witty, achingly romantic and willing to careen from moody to high spirited, High Fidelity is the template for 21st century love stories.

 Because it is free of the creaky cliches of old Hollywood, because it is gutsy enough to show the "hero" as a seriously flawed human being, and because it kicks ass big-time with its music sense, Stephen Frears' flick is cutting edge. A razor's edge that leaves both scar tissue and satisfaction.

 Frears is the eccentric Englishman whose mercurial career has ranged from The Grifters and Dangerous Liaisons to such off-kilter stuff as My Beautiful Launderette and The Snapper. He has also failed miserably with Hollywood nonsense such as The Hi-Li Country and Mary Reilly.

 In High Fidelity, Frears is back in stride and in a beautiful groove. The movie, adapted from British novelist Nick Hornby's book, was transplanted to Chicago and written for the screen by D.V. Devincentis, Steve Pink, Scott Rosenberg and creative actor-writer John Cusack.

 I obviously don't know who contributed what, but Frears ended up with a scintillating script and a star in Cusack who must have shaped his own gloomy-guts character, a complex oddball whom we grow to love in the movie. That's a Cusack specialty. Remember Being John Malkovich?

 Here Cusack plays an arrogant yet lovable record store owner who knows everything about pop music and nothing about women. His latest girlfriend (sensuous and talented Danish actress Iben Hjejle, currently on screen as the hooker-housekeeper in the Danish art film Mifune) has just left.

 So Cusack begins to testify to the camera, breaking down the wall between him and us. He tells us about his five worst breakups ever, going right back to public school. We see a jumble of flashbacks. He begins to telephone or at least visit each one, looking for meaning. Meanwhile, with both swagger and tears, he tries to win Hjejle back. She resists.

 At the same time, the record store scenes hop, jump and sparkle with humour, particularly because of the contributions of his two super-geek clerks (Todd Louiso as the shy guy, and Jack Black as the mouth-man, both charm us).

 The whole ensemble is staggering. Former girlfriends are played by Catherine Zeta-Jones and Lili Taylor. Tim Robbins shows up as Hjejle's new pseudo-zen boyfriend. Joan Cusack plays a loose cannon pal. Lisa Bonet is a casual fling. Sara Gilbert has a strong cameo. And Bruce Springsteen proves again he is The Boss with a too-brief but hilarious scene as himself, offering Cusack advice.

 The music track rocks with artists from Bow Wow Wow to Bob Dylan, from The Velvet Underground to Stevie Wonder. Even more deliciously, dozens of scenes hinge on pop-culture taste, as if the choice of songs, TV shows, movies or even childhood toys defines precisely who everyone is.

 Cusack's challenge is to get beyond that, delve into his soul and learn how to really love a woman. Frears & company turn that journey into a wonderful adventure for everyone.

(This film is rated AA)

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