As popular a filmmaker as Kevin Smith is, I’ve only really
enjoyed two of his films: Clerks and Chasing Amy.  The rest, while entertaining, leave nothing
for the audience to ponder about.  Yes, Smith
is a wonderful writer, but pop-culture dialogue and cameos can only go so far.

For a while, I thought Smith had ventured off into a
filmmaking rut that would be near impossible to escape.  Jersey Girl?  At best an ill advised attempt at trying to
cater to a different demographic.  Smith
is much better than that.  But let’s not
ignore the fact that every filmmaker has their dud and Smith was trying to
branch out as a filmmaker.  But in the
end, what did Smith do?  He took a step back
and entered the world of Clerks once again. 

While the film got a number of chuckles out of me, I couldn’t
help but realize that maybe Smith had hit his creative peak.  Instead of growing as a filmmaker and
storyteller and learning from his mistakes, he fell back onto what was proven
to be successful for him.  Suddenly, it
felt as if Smith no longer had anything important or interesting to say.

Then I saw Zack and Miri Make a Porno.

It’s interesting to note that Smith’s most mature and fully
realized picture is also his filthiest. 
The story has been described to no end (besides, it’s explained in the
title), so I won’t bore you by discussing it here again.

Zack and Miri Make a Porno is, hands down, the funniest
film I’ve seen all year.  I say that
without hesitation because Smith develops the characters in a way that makes
you fall in love with them.  In today’s
comedic world of film (which is undoubtedly owned by Apatow and Co.) most of
them are laugh out loud hilarious, but you don’t care about the
characters.  Pineapple Express and Tropic
Thunder come to mind.  Both great,
hilarious films, but I had trouble connecting with the characters on an
emotional or even human level, so I didn’t care what happened to them.  In Zack and Miri Make a Porno, I felt the
exact opposite.  And not just for Zack or
Miri, but for all of the odd ball characters that inhabit Smith’s world.

Over the years, Smith has grown into a reliable storyteller;
in that, you can expect every one of his films to be populated by an eclectic group
of outsiders and misfits.  Zack and Miri
Make a Porno is no different.  While
Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks are the heart and soul of the film, the
supporting cast threatens to steal the show from under their noses on more than
one occasion.  Especially Crag Robinson,
who some of you may know as Matheson from Pineapple Express or Darryl Philbin
from The Office.  His Delaney character
is one of the most memorable in recent memory. 
As the producer of the porno, Delaney is given all of the best lines and
sometimes even outshines Rogen.  There’s
a reason why Robinson is the go-to guy for supporting characters.

A number of familiar faces inhabit Zack and Miri’s world and
each of them have a memorable, stand out scene. 
Chief among them: Justin Long (Mac in the Apple commercials) and Brandon
Routh (Superman) as a gay couple! 
Without a doubt, they steal the show.

While leaving the theatre after the screening, I began to
wonder why the film had such a huge impact on me.  I eventually came to the conclusion that, at
its core, Zack and Miri Make a Porno is a film about family and the effect
(positive and negative) that love can have on us all.  It’s a sweet, yet incredibly graphic film;
physically and emotionally speaking. 
Smith is known for having an uncanny ability to recreate the most
uncomfortable moments brought about through love and physical attraction and
how it messes with us all and this film especially doesn’t shy away from that.  It’s honest and believable which, for a
comedy, says a lot. 

Clerks and Chasing Amy finally have a new companion in
the canon of Kevin Smith.

8 out of 10