Review of Clerks (1994) by Will H — 21 Oct 2011

Clerks is the directorial debut from Silent Bob himself, Kevin Smith, and is an excellent example of witty, funny, and smart independent filmmaking. It is a certifiably classic comedy film, with some great one-liners, interesting commentary on a day in the life of workaday store clerks, and some surprisingly effective performances from its somewhat amateurish leads.

Smith's script is very well-put-together, making the most of a simple premise, with everything from dick jokes to cigarette commentary to a hilariously long-winded conversation about construction workers dying as collateral damage during the destruction of the Death Star during Return of the Jedi, eventually involving an actual roofer.

His direction is a little more questionable, as it's anybody's guess why he felt the need to shoot the film in black and white. As for the performances, they're a mixed bag. First-time actors Brian O'Halloran and Jeff Anderson give it their all here, and though they're a little rough around the edges, they end up turning in successfully comedic and realistically convincing performances.

Jason Mewes and Smith himself make their first appearances as drug dealers Jay and Silent Bob as well, and they are sufficiently hilarious, Mewes in his degenerate nature and Smith in his oddly poignant stoicism.

The female leads are suspect, and though Marilyn Ghiglotti is OK as Veronica, Lisa Spoonhauer comes off a little lax and uninspired. Though the film is dated, Clerks still is quite funny and surprisingly deep, and is what launched Smith into the Hollywood stratosphere.