Zack and Miri One of the Funniest Films This Year

By Broadside Staff Writer Ross Bonaime

When looking at Kevin Smith’s newest film, Zack and Miri Make A Porno, it may look relatively close to a film from the Judd Apatow machine and his cast of freaks and geeks. This is an easy mistake to make. Smith’s trademark of taking an endearing love story and surrounding it with, as Smith calls it, “dick and fart jokes,” lead him through the ’90s with Clerks, Chasing Amy, Mallrats and Dogma. While Smith found a cult following, Apatow took this formula and found almost instant success with The 40-Year-Old Virgin. Now Smith’s eighth film takes several of Apatow’s well-known conspirators, such as Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks and makes a film worthy of the success that Smith has so long deserved.

As the name implies, Zack and Miri, played by Rogen and Banks respectively, are two life-long friends who have the idea to make a dirty movie to help fix their financial woes. The amicable couple along with Zack’s coffee-shop co-worker and producer, represented by Craig Robinson of The Office fame, enlists the help of “actors,” such as Smith regular Jason Mewes as Lester the Molester, Traci Lords as the appropriately-named Bubbles and Katie Morgan, as stripper-turned-porn star named Stacey. Together, they try to make a movie that will solve Zack and Miri’s problems. Yet the two friends worry about how the movie will affect their friendship when their looming sex scene together comes and what the repercussions of this physical act could mean for them.

Rogen and Banks are brilliant together and their chemistry is palpable. Rogen, whose recent role in Pineapple Express was disappointing, is in his most heartening and hilarious role since Knocked Up.

Banks however has never made a film that is equal parts romantic and comedic and she has not been this funny since The 40-Year-Old Virgin. Her newest work in this film, Oliver Stone’s W. and Definitely, Maybe, proves that she is one of the up-and-coming actresses to watch.

The supporting cast is either hit or miss though. Smith favorites Jeff Anderson and Mewes are fun, as is Robinson, who is brilliantly understated as Delaney. Nevertheless, Traci Lords and Ricky Mabe, another one of the porno’s stars, seem more like one-note characters and not essential in any way, except for a few fleeting laughs.

For years, Smith has been known for his vulgar candor and excellent dialogue, yet lacking when it comes to directing. Since his last film, Clerks 2, and his recent work on the CW’s Reaper, he has started to seem more comfortable directing and it truly works here. While the script still sounds like Smith’s usual banter, he also seems willing to tell the story without words, instead opting for silence or a glance that says much more than he could ever say. Smith’s ability to be experimental with both of these mediums works in his favor.

The combining of the actors made famous by Apatow with the astounding writing of Smith makes for a great synergy. Surprisingly, the film is not overly gratuitous and finds the warmth within the characters, making the subject matter seem nonchalant. The film looks and feels like it came from Silent Bob himself, thanks to his favorite cinematographer Dave Klein. With help from his usual suspects, plus Rogen and Banks with their powerhouse performances, and Smith’s new take on direction and usual wit, Zack and Miri Make A Porno is one of the funniest films this year and a great addition to the already fantastic library of Smith’s films.