I saw Kevin Smith's new flick, Zack and Miri last night. It was enjoyable. The characters' badinage is seasoned with Smith's trademark "dick and fart" jokes. In a rare instance of filmmaking, "heartwarming" moments and full frontal nudity (to say nothing of the simulated sex scenes) coexist in almost equal measure in a feature film released in the U.S.
Zack and Miri Make A Porno is exactly what its title advertises. It is ostensibly, "the little porno that could". Yet, what emerges as the main plot is not how two roommates set out to make a porno in order to pay off their bills, but the way in which sex complicates a relationship between friends. It's not an original conceit for a film and Smith has never claimed or even shown the least bit interest in aspiring toward originality (he has more often than not, emphasized his shortcomings as a filmmaker in interviews). There are certain things we've come to expect from Smith and he delivers every time, but I'd like to watch a Kevin Smith film in which he disappoints his bread and butter core audience (or whom he believes is his core audience) for once (not counting Jersey Girl). He has said that he expects Zack and Miri to out-gross (after seeing the flick, both senses of the word are valid) any of his other films (30M being his ceiling) and I don't doubt it. Not only does it star Seth Rogen (who would've thought that those words would mean anything before Knocked Up came out?), but underneath a generous layer of filth, Zack and Miri contains the same, basic structure as any Hollywood "romcom." You know how those go over with Americans at the box office.
In short, I like Kevin Smith's films (particularly Clerks, Dogma and Chasing Amy), but Zack and Miri left something to be desired. Nonetheless, I am definitely looking forward to Red State.
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This weekend, I'm revisiting the works of Charlie Kaufman (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Adaptation, Being John Malkovich, Human Nature) in anticipation of the release of Synecdoche, NY next Friday.
I think I wanted to counteract the effect of Zack and Miri with something completely different (as the Pythons put it) so I watched Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind again. The film's title is derived from the poem, "Eloisa To Abelard" by Alexander Pope. Here is an excerpt:
The world forgetting, by the world forgot.
Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind!
Each pray'r accepted, and each wish resign'd;
I hadn't yet read The Letters of Abelard and Eloise (which crops up in several of Kaufman's works) or Pope's poem when I last saw Eternal Sunshine in 2004. Now that I have, the film carries a different kind of resonance for me.
I have embedded Eternal Sunshine and Adaptation in their full entirety below for your enjoyment (for 14 days). When you click play, a skeezy-looking ad will pop up. Do not be alarmed, it is just the nature of internet piracy.
Update: Links have expired.
