Review: Zack and Miri Make a Porno

Bosom Buddies

In an attempt to be a fair and balanced reviewer, I'm going to disclose some information that isn't particularly fair and balanced about me: I am not a big Kevin Smith fan. To be understandable, I have always loved Smith's rather rebellious effort as a filmmaker as to never let the superficial boundaries like money or professional actors get in the way of his storytelling and advance as an artist. However, I've never been attracted to the storyteller that is Kevin Smith, as I've always considered most of his films featuring that "indie spirit" as window dressing to cover up tasteless and outrageous gross out humor. When one even mentions the title of Smith's latest film, one would expect similar territory from Smith and company. Many of those elements are still present here, but that undercurrent of something surprisingly sweet is what makes the film something a little bit more special.

Seth Rogen, of the Judd Apatow factory, and Elizabeth Banks, slowly making a name for herself this year, play the title characters, two very good friends who huddle together in their dingy apartment that is crowded with clothes, junk and unpaid bills. After a string of unfortunate events, such as the water, gas and electricity being shut off, the two find themselves on hard times. It is when Zack has the brilliant solution to make a porno, and use the profits to settle their debts. A co-worker of Zack at the coffee shop (Craig Robinson) puts up the money to act as producer, and a host of other performers join the cast, including Kevin Smith regular Jason Mewes, better known as Jay from Smith's films and makes his first deviation from that character in a Smith project.

Once again, we have a comedy, and the question I ask is does it follow the same rule of the single best character. It doesn't really break that rule like very few films have, but it does feature an element that is unusual. Many might say that Rogen is the best, or it may be Banks. Both are good, but I would actually say it's Robinson. Robinson has been showing up here and there in a lot of Apatow projects now, and is seen weekly on "The Office." He's setting up his own market as the straight man who thinks the rest of the world is crazy but goes along for the ride anyway, and he's really great in that atmosphere. It's the biggest role he's had, and I hope he continues to climb in recognition. Rogen, I've always thought to be more lucky than talented, plays the same type of goofy grown up character that we've seen through all the Apatow films in the past. He's no match for Banks. She outshines him everywhere (and I apologize for not mentioning her good, but not groundbreaking performance in W.) and proves herself to be a great comedienne. Everyone else, including Mewes, just shows up to say their funny lines and don't elevate the film too much. However, even though the trade off between Brandon Routh and Justin Long, as a former high school hunk as his gay pron star lover, at Zack and Miri's high school reunion is completely unnecessary, it is a very funny scene almost worth the price of admission.

It occurred to me that Smith writes this film almost like a porno itself. It's relatively short, the dialogue isn't much (a lot of it is sprinkled with profanities to keep the giggles moving) and every character exists in a world without the acknowledgement of condoms, HIV, STDs, or pregnancy. Those dismissals subtract from the film's attempt into new territory, and it a subject that has always bothered me. However, I like how Smith has also made the issue of sexual preference in this film completely futile (except for one character) and that actually frees the movie from becoming bogged down with labeled sexual humor. It makes the film's comedy more broad, but I think that's the right thing to do for a film this polarizing. However, the score by James L. Venable I found emphasized too much the spirit of indie film scores that was overbearing in every scene. When a crescendo of music is playing and the funny part is actually cutting away from the music, that to me says there should have been more of those scenes.

There is one scene in the film that has been getting a lot of notoriety on the Internet, and it is a scene that has been aptly named the "shit shot." I'm not going to divulge any further, because I think everyone should be surprised, but I will say that it is a shocking moment and completely unexpected even though the scene has a set up. It will make your jaw drop for sure. It also marks the point where many of Smith's films tend to veer off into the gross out humor that eventually leaves you with a dirty feeling. This film doesn't do anything that extreme, which many people might say is a change. However, Smith instead replaces the gross out gags with more of the raunchy and sexual humor. Some of it is funny, while at the same time being a little too late to add, but I still think it is Smith doing the same thing, only with a different tactic. It's not as bad as the other shot, but it still serves as a point in the film where it drags on when really it should start wrapping up the tender story it has developed underneath. It's a different move using the same technique to me.

The love story between the two characters isn't anything new and the outcome is pretty obvious. What makes this film unique is only because it is Kevin Smith, which is a direction we don't see that much from him. Sometimes it is just the attempt to do something different that catches are eye, even if the different thing has been a norm for many others. Smith still needs to work on his endings, but he is helped by a very talented cast. I still don't declare myself a Kevin Smith fan, but if he continues to prove that not everyone has him figured out all the way, then I might be interested in that label in the future. *** / ****; GRADE: B