The latest film from Kevin Smith has been the source of much anticipation here at Punch Drunk Critics International. As disciples of all things View Askew, Kevin Smith can pretty much do no wrong in my eyes, and I'm sure John feels the same. In fact, I'm sure John will be on here to do his own review before too long. But for me, Smith is at the top of his game when he sticks do what he knows best, and that is comedy. What makes Kevin Smith stand out is that he is one of the best wordsmiths in the business right now. He is a master of dialogue, right up there with Tarantino in my opinion. But it's the combination of raunchy sight gags with his ability to create three dimensional characters who talk like normal people that makes him unique. Zack and Miri, if set to the usual standards Smith has set with his previous work might rank right up there with some of his best.
The story revolves around two old friends: Seth Rogen plays the slovenly Zack. It's the typical role for Rogen, the out of shape loveable loser. Elizabeth Banks plays his "hetero lifemate" this time around as Miri, who is much like the female version of Zach only she's decidely NOT out of shape. The two have shared a run down hovel of an apartment for years. Friends since 1st grade, it's hard to believe that the two have anything more in common than their mutual irresponsibility. Still, Rogen and Banks jibe together quite well, and the feeling that these two have been friends for a very long time does ring true. Faced with mounting debts, they find their electricity and water shut off, leaving the two desperate for cash. After Miri's plan to woo her ex-boyfriend(played by Superman himself, Brandon Routh) and have him pay her bills goes disasterously awry, Zack convinces Miri that the best way to earn some quick cash is to make a porno. Makes sense. Who wouldn't pay to watch Dale Denton bang Laura Bush?
Zack's friend and co-worker, Delaney, played by the oft-hilarious Craig Robinson, agrees to produce the film. View Askew alums Jeff Anderson(Deacon) and Jason Mewes(Lester) sign up as the cameraman and a...talented...actor eager to "work" with Miri on the film. Former porn star Traci Lords and current porn star(and personal favorite of mine) Katie Morgan lend additional experience to the amateurs' film. In typical Kevin Smith fashion, the original idea for the film is a riff off of Star Wars, titled Star Whores. Let's just say that you won't look at R2-D2 quite the same way again, although this version would make for an interesting action figure. After production is put on permanent hiatus thanks to some deception that I won't reveal here, Zack comes up with a new plan: To shoot another film at the Starbucks rip-off where he currently works. A script is drawn up, and sex scenes are divvied up.
This leads to the inevitable question: Will Zack and Miri, two friends who are more like siblings, actually have sex with eachother? Could they even if they wanted to? Would it be too weird? Would sex ruin the friendship, or would it be like that episode of Seinfeld where sex saves the friendship?
Kevin Smith's movies aren't that much different than the crop of Apatow films we've seen over the past couple of years. They are raunchy sex comedies with an emotional core, and that stretches back all the way to Smith's first film, Clerks. So it's a natural fit to see the usual Apatow clan transplanted into the View Askew Universe. I would say that Rogen might not be quite as adept at reciting Smith's dialogue as say Smith himself, but he does decent job playing a role he should be all too familiar with by now. Elizabeth Banks fits more seamlessly into this world than Rosario Dawson did in Clerks 2. Banks is a more natural comedian and holds her own quite well amongst all these heavyweights.
Those who walk into this expecting the usual Kevin Smith quirks and tics will not be disappointed. There's plenty of cock and balls jokes to be found. This is just me, but I've noticed the subtle difference in Kevin Smith's writing ever since he got married. As in Clerks 2 where the central theme was the fear of making the wrong choice in marriage, Zach and Miri spends an inordinate amount of time with the idea of being bored in marriage. Delaney, a married man with an angry shrew of a wife, practically leaps at the opportunity to see some new breasts. Clearly a brow-beaten husband, he remarks to hilarious effect at how awful being married truly is. Not that I'm saying Kevin Smith is in an awful marriage. Far from it. I think one's marriage would have to be totally secure to even be able to make some of these cracks and still have your wife show up for a guest appearance. I just think there's been a subtle maturity and depthness added to Smith's repetoire in between the dick and fart jokes...and occasional feces humor. Yes, feces humor. Consider yourself warned.
I'd be remiss if I didn't mention perhaps the two funniest guest appearances of the year so far, one by a VERY unlikely source. Brandon Routh, yes Superman himself, shows up as Bobby Long, Miri's ex-boyfriend from high school. Let's put it this way, he's far superior here in 10 minutes of screentime than he was in 150 minutes in Superman Returns. Justin Long, who is starting to grow on me lately, plays a porn star to a particular segment of society that I won't spoil here. It's his voice that makes it so hilarious, as he sounds like a combination of Isaac Hayes and Harvey Fierstein but looks like, well, the guy in those annoying Mac commercials.
I continue to be impressed and entertained by Kevin Smith, as his style seems to be maturing right alongside my own tastes. I think what he's done here is introduce us to a small world of characters that I definitely want to see again. Who knows what Zach and Miri decide to do next? Whatever it is, I'll pay to see it.
8/10
