Zack and Miri Make a Porno Directed by: Kevin Smith Cast: Seth Rogan, Elizabeth Banks, Craig Robinson Time: approx 1 hr, 40 mins Rating: R
Plot: Two platonic, twenty-something roommates (Rogen and Banks) emerge from their 10-year high school reunion with dead-end jobs, a stack of unpaid bills and not-so-sterling reputations as the dregs of their generation. But, in a stroke of genius, they decide to produce their very own porno flick to help get the lights and water back on. What they don't expect is that inconvenient sexual tension, stemming from feelings they've been avoiding all their lives, to come bubbling to the surface. And I wish I meant "bubbling" metaphorically.
Who’s It For? Teens will love it, if only because Rogen is the star. But it depicts a lack of post-high school career trajectory that slightly older audiences may be able to relate to (some more than others).
Expectations: Its blunt title does a pretty good job of setting expectations safely in "over-the-top" territory. And anyone who knows anything about Kevin Smith will tell you that good comedy is a pre-requisite.
SCORECARD (0-10)
Actors:
Seth Rogen as Zack: Though there's very little real variety in the kinds of roles Rogen takes on, it's almost forgivable because he certainly does it well. Here his self-depricating brand of average-joe, potty-mouth humor fits in comfortably (which makes sense, considering Smith reportedly wrote the role with Rogen in mind). However, there's another layer to Rogen's character - underneath the beer gut and scruffy beard there's actual talent and passion, not to mention vulnerability. In Zack and Miri, Rogen, who's usually only responsible for being the funniest guy in the room, also manages to have the biggest heart. Awww. Score: 8/10
Elizabeth Banks as Miri: Banks is like that rare phenomenon of the high school girl who's both pretty AND cool. Not only is she radiant as the slightly frayed Miri, she's also a consistent scene-stealer with a sharp tongue and even sharper timing. And once she sees Zack's newly found motivation, there's just enough reason to believe she'd be smitten. Score: 8/10
Talking: In true Kevin Smith/Seth Rogen fashion, Zack and Miri proves itself as an exhibition of the most cutting edge in foul language. Zack's back-and-forth with both Miri and their movie's casting director, Delaney (played by Craig Robinson, of The Office fame) is full of creative new ways to trash talk your friends - and even better, your enemies. The dirty dialogue is one of the film's strongest attributes. If you're into stuff like that. Score: 9/10
Sights & Sounds: The film teeters on the brink of NC17 status at times, it does so quite admirably. It follows in the wake of Superbad, Borat and Forgetting Sarah Marshall in terms of shock factor and raises the gross-out bar another notch. Plus, the simulated porno scenes are surprisingly graphic for a major release, which pervy teens will appreciate. Score: 8/10
PLOT SPOILERS
Best Scene: Justin Long (the "Mac" guy) and Brandon Routh (Superman) make hilarious cameos as an afluent, successful gay couple with very familiar relationship problems. Long is especially memorable (and profane), proving, as he did in 2005's The Break-up next to Jennifer Aniston, that his characters can swing any way he wants them to.
Ending: It is a feel-good movie, ultimately, and things work out for the best. It ends with the characters developing a curious new business model. Kind of makes you wonder if it could actually work.
Questions: Let me put this as delicately as possible: at its peak grossness, the film features a falling substance (too disgusting to mention) right in the face of an unsuspecting cameraman. The realism with which this substance is portrayed in the film is unsettling, and begs the question: what WAS that stuff made of?
Rewatchability: It easily qualifies as the kind of movie you can watch multiple times. The jokes and dialogue are rich enough to stand up to repeated viewings, especially with new people.
OVERALL
It's a solid film with a genuinely funny cast, and it serves up exactly the kind of humor audiences are craving. Though trends in comedy have tended toward the super-relatable, underdog-gets-the-girl irony lately, the best seem to understand that while audiences like to relate to characters, they don't necessarily need to relate to situations. Though Rogen and Banks sell their desperation admirably, it's safe to say most people would never consider resorting to pornography to make ends meet. Despite this (or maybe because of it), we still get a kick out of watching other people do just that.
Zack and Miri seems to have found a decent balance of realism and elevated realism, between what we expect to see and what we really want to see. And best of all, it does this pretty proficiently. Despite its less-than-funny opening sequence, Zack and Miri Make a Porno eventually finds a decent pace somewhere between inappropriate and downright lude, which is exactly where a film about amateur porn belongs.
Final Score: 8/10