‘Zack and Miri’ unites unlikely comic pair
The extreme opposites within Kevin Smith’s filmmaking personality coexist in “Zack and Miri Make a Porno,” to hit-and-miss effect.
Yes, there is a ton of sex as the title would suggest, including one scene that is so incredibly wrong, words don’t even begin to describe it. A proliferation of raw, raunchy dialogue has always been one of the writer-director’s preferred tactics, dating back to his pioneering 1994 debut, “Clerks,” and that’s certainly true this time, as well – actually, it’s more relevant than usual.
But “Zack and Miri” also reflects the sweetness that has crept intermittently into Smith’s movies in recent years as he’s settled into his real-life roles as husband and father. (See: “Jersey Girl.”)
A guy and a girl, longtime best friends and roommates, realize they’re secretly in love with each other, one of the most hackneyed romantic comedy premises of all time. Through Smith’s skewed prism, though, Zack (Seth Rogen) and Miri (Elizabeth Banks) achieve this epiphany while having on-camera sex during an amateur adult movie, something they do out of desperation to pay the bills.
Rogen and Banks make an extremely likable comic pair, even though they’re an unlikely romantic match (or perhaps because of it). Both are clearly comfortable in such naughty but highly verbal territory as alumni of Judd Apatow movies, and, as in Apatow’s “Knocked Up,” this is yet another wish-fulfillment comedy in which the tubby, schlubby Rogen lands an impossibly beautiful woman.
Not surprisingly, Smith and Rogen, the co-writer and co-star of “Superbad,” also share an easy affinity: Nothing has ever been off-limits for either of them. Yet, there’s an undercurrent of insecure geekdom beneath the brash comedy that makes it instantly recognizable and accessible.
Making an X-rated film, of all things, forces him to figure out who he is and what he wants. He and Miri assemble a motley crew of strippers, freaks and outcasts to help them cobble together “Star Whores” (you can guess what that one’s about). Among the eclectic supporting cast are old Smith pals Jason Mewes and Jeff Anderson, and real-life porn actresses Traci Lords and Katie Morgan.
The adolescent, graphic humor can become grating after a while, as it does in all of Smith’s films, so the warmth that emerges is more than welcome. Not that we didn’t see it coming, but Zack and Miri ultimately must confront the feelings for each other that they never knew they had – naked, in front of strangers, beneath the merciless glare of lights and a camera.
The moment plays out with such uncharacteristic tenderness, though, it’s almost enough to make you think that Smith’s gooey side has won out after all. Almost.
– By Christy Lemire, Associated Press
“RocknRolla”
Like his earlier “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels” and “Snatch,” Guy Ritchie’s “RocknRolla” is a multi-character high-speed cruise through the London underworld marked by audacious use of the camera and a fluid narrative style.
It’s been well cast and well made. It’s also devoid of anything like real feeling.
The plot is too convoluted to examine in detail. Basically, One Two (Gerard Butler) and his pal Mumbles (Idris Elba) are deep in debt to underworld boss Lenny Cole (Tom Wilkinson).
One Two’s girlfriend, Stella (Thandie Newton), informs him that Lenny is borrowing millions from Russian gangster Uri (Karel Roden). One Two intercepts not only the money but also Uri’s precious “good luck” painting, which the Russian is lending to Lenny as a show of good faith.
Lenny goes ballistic, not so much over the loss of the money as the painting. If he cannot return it to Uri, a bloody gang war will ensue. The painting and the cash pass from hand to hand while Lenny’s thugs tear the city apart searching for them.
– By Robert W. Butler, McClatchy News