Dave
This is a comedy film about a very attractive young woman, Miri (played by Elizabeth Banks), and an unattractive, overweight young man, Zack (played by Seth Rogen). They are friends who live in poverty in a flat in Pennsylvania. They decide to make a porn film.The plot is implausible. There's no way that an articulate, hot girl would want anything to do with an unattractive, overweight, coarse idiot - let alone choose to live in poverty with him. For them to then have sex on film - when they've never been sexually attracted to each other - stretches the ridiculous plot further. They then push things even further into the unbelievable by falling in love with each other and marrying. The backstory is ridiculous. We're supposed to believe that hot Miri has never been popular and that very unappealing Zack has never been attracted to her throughout the years that they've been best friends. Early in the film, Zack and Miri attend their high school reunion. This is implausible due to the fact that unpopular, unsuccessful people don't go to their school reunions. Zack and Miri aren't believable as friends, flatmates, porn co-stars or as a couple. The film starts off as a sex comedy, but later makes a preposterous and uncomfortable jolt into being a romantic drama. This is an 18 certificate in the UK, but the humour is so blunt and juvenile that it's not going to appeal to many adults.
GusF
Kevin Smith's first film not to take place in his beloved New Jersey, this is an extremely funny and sometimes touching film. As with the lacklustre "Jersey Girl", it is not set in the View Askewniverse and, as such, Jay and Silent Bob are conspicuously absent. However, with its colourful characters and very raunchy dialogue, it could have very easily fit into that universe. Smith has always had a flair for hilarious dialogue and that is certainly on display here. His direction is not on the same level as it was in "Clerks II", his best directed (if not his best written) film. However, it is still very good, particularly during the filming of the porno. As regards the porno scenes themselves, they are unsurprisingly among the funniest scenes in the film. The shades of bondage were a little weird but, after the "interspecies erotica" involving the donkey in "Clerks II", they seemed mild comparatively speaking! The film stars Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks as Zack Brown and Miri Linky, a pair of 28-year-old best friends of 20 years' standing who share a charming little hovel of an apartment in Monroeville, Pittsburgh. They both have stable employment but they are chronically short of cash to the extent that they have not paid their electricity and water bills in months. Both of these essential services are turned off on the day before Thanksgiving. So much for the milk of human kindness. At their high school reunion, they learn that the boyfriend of Miri's former crush (whom she hoped to seduce through the power of her alcohol-fueled chitchat, among other things) is a gay porn star. In order to solve their dire financial straits, and having realised the title of the film, they decide to make a pornographic film, as you do. As they embark upon this noble enterprise, the fact that a video of Miri wearing granny panties went viral is as encouraging to Zack as is humiliating to her. They intended to make a titillating sci-fi masterpiece entitled "Star Whores" spoofing a particular film franchise of which Smith is very fond. However, when the building containing their makeshift film studio is unexpectedly demolished and their equipment destroyed, they are forced to improvise and shoot a coffee shop themed porno in Zack's workplace after hours.I have never really been a big fan of Seth Rogen or the Judd Apatow genre that made his name but he is very good here. Elizabeth Banks is an excellent actress and gives the best performance in the film as Miri, a sweet, kind, genuine young woman who is looking for happiness. In spite of their agreement that they will not allow the fact that they are going to have sex with each other to change things between them, their initially very awkward sex scene is far more than merely a show for the camera and they realise that they are in love. Perhaps they have been years but neither of them consciously realised it. Admittedly, it is not an entirely original or unexpected development as, firstly, Zack and Miri are clearly made for each other from the first scene and, secondly, I have seen films other than this one. However, the most important thing when it comes to such material is that it is handled well and that is certainly the case here. Smith has a knack for writing heartfelt speeches and Zack's profession of his love for Miri is a surprisingly touching one, something which is helped by the fact that Rogen and Banks have great chemistry.Making his first appearance in one of Smith's films playing a character other than Jay, Jason Mewes is very funny as the admittedly highly similar character Lester, a borderline - or maybe not quite so borderline - sex pest and a very enthusiastic participant in the porno film. He is known as Lester the Molester and that is before he finds out that he can choose his own porn name! However, Lester is not quite as funny as Jay as, on this occasion, he does not have get the lion's share of the best lines. Aside from a brief cameo by Smith's wife Jennifer Schwalbach, the only other View Askewniverse alumnus to appear in the film is Jeff Anderson, who is likewise very funny as the cameraman Deacon. Much of the film's funniest material goes to Craig Robinson as Zack's other best friend, co-worker and the porno's producer Delaney. One of his best moments is when he objects to being asked to work on Black Friday as he believes that its name is highly offensive to him as a black man. He then proceeds to ask his employer if he thinks that he owns him. The film also has great cameos from Brandon Routh as Miri's old crush Bobby Long (who is still in the closet), Justin Long as his out and proud gay porn star boyfriend Brandon St. Randy, Gerry Bednob as Zack and Delaney's boss Mr. Surya and Tisha Campbell-Martin as Delaney's frightening wife. I swear that I did not make any of those actors' names up! Overall, this is a terrifically funny film with some tender moments and well-observed commentary on society, all of which I have come to expect from Kevin Smith's very sharp writing.
George Roots (GeorgeRoots)
I wanted to see it when it came out in 2008, alas I was 16 and too young. Now that I have seen it, for a good year it became the perfect background noise movie for when I was drawing.It's far from Kevin Smith's best work, but it was extremely funny. The level of profanity never really bothered me, and the totally gross-out moments here and there had me in tears of laughter. True the comparisons between this and a Judd Apatow movie can definitely be seen, even both leading actors were in "The 40 year old Virgin" (2005). Regardless, Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks pull out great comedic performances in another surprisingly good meaningful sex comedy.Final Verdict: Really awesome and warm spirited. 7/10.
Jerghal
The whole Kev Smith gang's here and that is probably the best part of the film. The story itself is simple and very predictable. Zack & Miri are lifelong friends since high-school, but never amounted to anything so they need money and the quickest way is to make a porn film. Don't expect (much) nudity, it's still an R rated Hollywood production, not an NC-17 'real' porn movie. Rogen acts like he always acts (he's no Pacino), Banks is a lot better but she can only work with what's written. All in all a mediocre film. Kevin Smith seems to be a director who's career goes in reverse: his first film Clercks was his masterpiece and every new film he's made since has been worse than the previous one. That sure gives you some perspective for his new film Tusk. Let's hope Smith can turn the tide...
