Zack and Miri Make a Porno

I keep hearing rumours (and once from the man himself) that Kevin Smith’s going to make a serious film one day. A horror film. And yet every couple of years he comes up with another comedy. I generally enjoy these films, but it’s about time for him to take a few more risks. (Hell, M. Night Shyamalan’s finally going to direct a film written by someone else, so anything’s possible.) Here we have the enormous popularity of Seth Rogen combined with the crass yet always sentimental writing of Kevin Smith. A match made in heaven, right? Sort of.

Zack (Rogen) and Miri (Elizabeth Banks) have shared an apartment since high school. In the ten years since they graduated they haven’t achieved all that much, and they’re having trouble paying the bills through their menial jobs. After a chance encounter, Zack strikes upon a scheme that will reel in the dollars – make their own porno. This would of course involve the two of them getting it on, which is territory the lifelong friends have never explored. Many have compared this to When Harry Met Sally, and of course the two films have some things in common. Unfortunately, Smith’s film feels a little… unfinished.

The stuff that works is fantastic. It’s hilarious, and Smith’s crass verbosity still works for me even though I’m sick of Tarantino’s circumlocution. They’re making pornography, so at least this time Smith has an excuse for his potty mouth. Then we have the romantic aspect of the film, which works just as well. Banks and Rogen work well together and I was convinced they were the same age, even if they’re actually 8 years apart.

The problem is that the film’s just a little too… sparse. The supporting characters are all amusing though none have any depth, and Zack and Miri’s story isn’t complex enough. Their bumpy journey through love is entirely predictable and a little too simple for my liking. Other elements of the film are forgotten or fall flat, and then there’s the rather large problem of how these two thought they would make any money from their kinky project anyway. Surely no one would actually purchase their porn when it would be copied and distributed over the net for free within a heartbeat… The film even acknowledges the concept of the viral video that is instantly viewed by thousands, so it’s a little strange that it hasn’t considered the likelihood of Zack and Miri ever making money from this.

It’s disappointing because there’s some solid writing and strong performances skulking around here, they just don’t have the full support of the rest of the film.