Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist is easily compared with last year’s romantic comedy Juno. Thankfully, director Peter Sollett avoided creating a film that comes across as a simple copy of Jason Reitman’s hit in favor of a movie able to successfully stand on its own. Based on David Levithan and Rachel Cohn’s 2007 young-adult novel of the same name, Sollett’s adaptation achieves a quirky and relatable feel similar to that of the former production’s comedic gold.

Michael Cera continues to play the role of the sensitive, awkward student who was first seen in Arrested Development and reappeared in Superbad. This typecasting both helps and hinders the young actor’s performance; while Cera has perfected the role by this film, it’s one that offers few surprises.

Nick (Cera), a member of the nearly all-gay band The Jerk Offs, is depressed after being recently dumped by his girlfriend, Tris (Alexis Dziena). Content to spend his time thinking about his ex, the musician only lets up when his bandmates inform him that his favorite group will be performing a secret show somewhere in the Five Boroughs.

Unbeknownst to Nick, Tris’s classmate, the less popular and self-described “straight-edge” Norah (Kat Dennings), has fallen in love with him after coming across a series of mixtapes he made.

On the night of the show, the three are thrown together, along with Norah’s friend Caroline (Ari Graynor) at The Jerk Offs’ latest gig. Norah, having never met Nick and thinking him a stranger, asks if he would be her “boyfriend for five minutes” in order to stop Tris from making fun of her for being single.

With some assistance from Nick’s bandmates, who see Norah as the perfect girl for their friend and thereby agree to take the drunken Caroline home, the two pair up to find the concert that brought Nick out on the town.

At this point viewers may assume that the focus of the film would remain on the characters’ search for the elusive show, but the importance of the mysterious gig is simultaneously stressed and dismissed. Unfortunately, this causes the film to lose focus.

Several side plots, such as the duo’s search for Caroline across town — amidst a gay burlesque show, bus terminal and convenience store — and an attempt by Tris to win back Nick, while entertaining, seem disconnected. On the other hand, there are several scenes that stand out, including a hilariously silent deadpan performance by Kevin Corrigan.

Without any central point in the night’s journey to connect wtih the characters’ romance, the movie is most enjoyable during the moments it focuses solely on the two title characters. However, while there are sparks between Nick and Norah, their romance abruptly alternates between appearing forced and believable — leaving the audience, like the characters, in search of something more.

Reach reporter Julian Martin at arts@dailyuw.com.