Zack and Miri Make a Porno

Zack and Miri Make a Porno (2008)


Director: Kevin Smith
Writer: Kevin Smith
Starring: Seth Rogen, Elizabeth Banks

Synopsis
High school friends who have lived together platonically for ten years, Zack and Miri are broke, constantly choosing between water, heat, and electricity bills.  After attending their high school reunion and coming to the conclusion that they would pay to see the sexual exploits of some of their former classmates, Zack and Miri decide that making a porn of thier own may just be the route to financial solvency.  They find some funding and some friends who kind of know what they're doing, and they develop a cast in which they will not be the only boinkers.   Typical relationshiopal stuff comes up during the making of the movie.


The Woman
 we watched this almost a week ago, which makes writing about it a little more difficult. ok. textbook romantic comedy in parts. good kevin smith dialog. i like the concept of juxtaposing the "raunchiness" of porno with a cutesy love story. seth rogen's laugh makes me want to punch him in the face a little bit, but i don't recall that much laughter, so i liked it a little better than parts of "pineapple express" and "knocked up" where he laughed a lot. it was better than "jersey girl". that's a positive. i wouldn't go out of my way to watch it again, but if it were on t.v. and nothing better was on, i would...maybe. i also have found myself not liking seth rogen because he's a fat traitor. you fat traitor sell out. ok, that might be a little harsh. you look better pudgy, man. people might not find you as lovable with out it. i hope you gain it all back. and please stop laughing like that. thanks.

MOster
This was decent Kevin Smith.  He's certainly matured as both a screenwriter and a director.  While there's plenty of dirty stuff to behold, it's treated through a different set of filters.  There are some pretty funny setups, especially with the Indian coffee shop owner (who fell out of the light too quickly for me).  There are also some definite autobiographical elements here, hearkening back to the production of "Clerks."  In general the production and direction stayed to his strengths, eliminating crane shots or other crazy camera movement.  But there's more subtlety in what he does.  Production value is much better than in prior KS movies; and this even looks more polished than "Jersey Girl."

Acting was pretty good.  You would expect Banks and Rogen to do well with this material; and you'd be right.  The minor players are pretty good too, with Jason Mewes showing that he actually can be an actor in a big movie.  Other supporters are equal to their tasks.

I would have liked to see more from this, however.  The best dramatic comedy to come from Kevin Smith was "Chasing Amy", and it didn't seem like he succeeded in bringing some of those deeper elements into this script (of course, not all of them applied).  At a less-complicated level, I think it could've been straight-up funnier.  Perhaps he dulled his edge to expand his audience.  Whatever the reason, though, it was a shame.

All in all, this WAS worth watching for both KS fans and neophytes.  Possibly this will bring some more people back to the Quick Stop.