Ah…unrequited love. Not many have had the misfortune to bed that demon. Those who have, however, are sure to appreciate the tale of Zack and Miri.
Zack (Seth Rogen) and Miri (Elizabeth Banks) are platonic roommates and long time friends wallowing in financial distress. It all comes to a head when the electricity, last in a succession of unpaid utilities, is shut off. To top that off, they further depress themselves after attending their high school reunion. Inspiration hits when Zack decides the answer to their financial woes is to make a pornographic film.
I don’t know what all the hubbub was about with the MPAA initially charging Zack and Miri with the “NC-17” kiss of death. Granted, Kevin Smith had to do some additional editing to coax them down to an “R,” but the sex scenes were goofy sleaze – and quite a bit tamer than what you would see in a softcore film at Holiday Inn.
Delaney, the producer of Zack’s endeavor, was played by Craig Robinson (Pineapple Express, The Office). Perhaps not one of his funnier roles, but he still brings the laughs with his giddy desire to see new titties.
Rogen (40 Year Old Virgin, Pineapple Express) and Banks (40 Year Old Virgin, W.) have a great chemistry on the set, and the movie was as blunt as the title implies. There’s no great M. Night Shyamalan twist at the end, but if you’re a Kevin Smith fan, you know base humor is the order for the day, even if it is just a blanket for an underlying story that allows Smith’s soft spot to show. If you prefer cerebral humor, this film isn’t for you, heck, why’d you even interested in a Smith film to begin with? Jason Mewes fans will no doubt see a side of him they haven’t seen before, and if you don’t walk out with at least a smile on your face, then you were watching the wrong movie
