Zack and Miri Make a Porno

In Kevin Smith’s latest, we get the classic story of boy meets girl in kindergarten, boy and girl become best friends over their mutual social awkwardness, boy and girl plan to go to the prom together (just as friends) but opt to stay home, boy moves in with girl to help her with the rent, boy and girl live together for ten years with little to show for their lives, boy and girl go to their ten-year high school reunion and feel like losers, boy and girl can’t pay the bills and decide to make a pornographic movie and along the way they discover their true feelings for each other.

While the story is predictable and relatively unoriginal (e.g., When Harry Met Sally), you’re not coming to this film for the story or a satire of or commentary on the adult film industry, like the 1997 classics Orgazmo and Boogie Nights, respectively.  You’re coming for the comedy and in that Zack and Miri delivers.  Although it is short-lived, Brandon Routh and Justin Long’s scene as the bickering gay couple is one of two highlights.  The other scene shows the promo shots of the porno cast getting ready to shoot Star Whores—the costuming and character names will amuse all of your Star Wars fans out there.  (Note: After some brief Internet research, “Star Whores” was the name of at least two real adult films; I have seen neither and cannot vouch for which version was the best “re-imagineering” of George Lucas’s vision.)  The rest of the film features off-color jokes and a lot of profanity, which juxtaposed nicely after my viewing of High School Musical 3 earlier that day.

The only plot issue I had was that the film took too long to resolve.  As I noted above, the ending is predictable so I did not understand why we had so much time between the break-up and the reunion.  The fifteen-plus minutes of filler were unremarkable and had me checking my watch, which is never a good thing.

Of the performances, Seth Rogan plays a similar loveable doofus to his role in Knocked Up, but he foiled nicely with the far more serious performance by Elizabeth Banks.  In the supporting cast, Craig Robinson reached new heights as he gave additional depth into a character resembling Darryl of The Office, and Jason Mewes was almost tame compared to his usual Kevin Smith character, Jay—and by more subtle, I mean more naked.  And what film about pornography would be complete without two ladies of porn, who showed that there’s some real acting talent in the adult film world.  Look out Glenn Close!

So for those who’ve enjoyed Smith’s prior films or those who just need two hours of an uncomplicated comedy, check out this gay romp through the world of amateur adult filmmaking.  But be careful, you might just learn something . . . about love.