Saw Zack and Miri Make a Porno, another film from Kevin Smith's "Askewniverse." Since it's Kevin Smith, you know this film is gonna be a bro-y, congenial film, kind of skeazy but fundamentally good-natured. It's the sort of film that might pass out on your couch but would probably also help you move. As you might gather from the title, the film is sexually provocative but, like Shortbus before it, it's very traditional deep down. It missteps with the sexual politics here and there in my opinion, but I'll talk about that later.
So this is a sweet little movie about two people realizing that they love each other, set in the winter hell-land of Pennsylvania. The winter of their smallish town is lushly and gloriously portrayed. The slush and the ice and the whining car engines, ice caked on door-handles and windshields, the hot coffee in thin, cardboard cups that you hope will warm you up but that get cold the instant you step back outside again, the salt stains on everyone's shoes and on the hardwood of every shop. Oh yes, it's all there!!
I really liked the winter and it works well as a metaphor for single life: cold, lonely, and hostile. Of course Zack and Miri get together. Why wouldn't they? Well, for starters because she's way out of his league. He's Seth Rogan, so he's this big sweet teddy bear, but this is the magical pixie dream girl, I think, making all of your wishes come true. Like the porno they make, this is also just wish-fulfillment fantasy.
Also, while I'm being mean, I really really didn't like the gay couple at the beginning. Both are very attractive but (if wikipedia is to be trusted) neither of them is actually gay (maybe there just weren't any gay actors available at the time???) One makes this big deal out of how important it is to indulge Zack's giggling school-boy curiosity and non-questions such as "so, you suck each other's cocks huh?" Later, Zack just quietly marvels to himself "they fight just like real people!" During the credits, the character return to deliver a gross-out monologue about one of their buttholes. Is this supposed to be funny and inclusive or something? Speaking only for myself here but I don't feel very included. I feel a bunch of straight guys put on silly voices and limp wrists and made fun of me and my friends for a while before patting themselves on the back for being broadminded. For being such an otherwise sweet little film, it's a really sour note. Also there's two black characters who have problems of their own but I am on less familiar ground there so I'll leave it to someone else to critique.
So like I said, this a bro-y movie. Part of it's charm is that it's kind of offensive and any oh-so-outraged blog posts are part of that package and that appeal. Under all of the sex jokes and boobies beats a warm and traditional heart, just wanting to see the guy and the girl get together. I enjoyed this movie. I just worry that someone out there will think this is an honest-to-god portrayal of how life works. So long as you're aware that this is just fantasy, there's no harm in it. A sweet, cozy little film.
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