Review of Clerks II (2006) by Ioannis P — 17 Mar 2010

Where It Should End.

It's funny. This movie leaves me with a sense of hope. Okay, for some reason Netflix only sent me the cut of the original with the ending which makes this movie impossible, but even without that, there was the sense that every day would be just like the one before, and that that was a bad thing. Dante could end up with either of the girls, and it wouldn't matter; only the sweet release of death would solve anything. (Hence original ending, arguably.) However, in this one, you get the feeling that, even if every day is like the one before, it won't be a bad thing. And in fact, it won't anyway. From now on, every day will be different, and there's this incredible sense of peace to it. The things which should remain stable will, and the ones which should change will, and all's right with the world. That could be just me, but it makes me suspect that it's true of Kevin Smith, too, since he knew from before he'd planned out most of the movie how it was going to end.

Dante (Brian O'Halloran) and Randal (Jeff Anderson) have been burned out of their old jobs. Not, obviously, that the stress became too much for them--the Quick Stop burned down. So for a year now, they've been working at Mooby's, a chain which has apparently managed to survive the death of almost all of its board of directors. (More on which anon.) It's Dante's last day before he moves to Florida with Emma (Jennifer Schwalbach Smith), who walks around wearing a not-yet-accurate shirt reading "Mrs. Hicks" but who would be accurate in wearing one reading "The director's wife." There's also coworker Elias (Trevor Fehrman), boss Becky (Rosario Dawson), and the omnipresent Jay (Jason Mewes) and Silent Bob (Smith, of course). This movie is a little more complex than the last one; we're actually building up to something. There is a logical end point, which is why there is no deleted ending wherein Dante gets shot behind the counter of Mooby's.

I'm catching up on the Askewniverse, which is smaller than I'd realized. And the thing is, I think this should be its completion. It's the full circle. Heck, Randal even says at the end that Dante isn't even supposed to be there that day. Kevin Smith says he might revisit them in ten years, but I really don't think he should. This is the perfect moment. He'd have to have something damn important to say, and there would have to be a really good ending. And, come to that, we'd be reaching the point where the events from [i]Dogma[/i] might well become important. I mean, what, are they going to be fined for selling the Second Coming a pack of cigarettes? Shoot, even the shot of the Milk Maid (Kevin Smith's mom) feels right. (I realize spoilers could be pieced together based on what I'm saying, but I feel it's important to talk about it.) I'm sure Kevin Smith is not a big fan of the Art Garfunkel, but the song "Perfect Moment" would really work there. This is the life Dante really ought to have. I'm so satisfied with it that I'm having a hard time putting it into words, and it's one of the moments that frustrates me about Kevin Smith, given how close it follows on the donkey show.

Actually, the donkey show does, in part, beautifully personify the difference between Dante and Randal. Randal thinks that this is the perfect going-away party for his best friend, and I've got to tell you, there's no way he should have expected that to be what Dante wanted. It's what Randal wanted, and there's no other possibility. I'll also note--and I didn't catch this until the deleted scenes--that Dante wears a seatbelt and Randal does not. It's true that Dante is going to marry Emma and go to Florida in part because it's safe and what he thinks people expect of him. It seems likely that the reason he's not still with either of the girls from the first movie is that they realized that this is who he is, and they couldn't accept it. Instead of, as he needed, accepting it but showing him what more he could be. Showing him the best of all Dantes.

It may be just me, but I am not at all surprised by Jay's ardent Christianity in this movie. I mean, he met God. He helped prevent the Apocalypse. (Though, naturally, Silent Bob was a lot more helpful.) He wears the Buddy Christ shirt, though he stole the putter of the man who developed the concept. His sobriety is real, too. There are also very obvious references to their experiences with the Muse. Sure, Jason Lee is not Azrael here--but he isn't Brodie, either. Ben Affleck may be Holden, but he certainly isn't Bartleby. And, okay, I still haven't seen [i]Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back[/i]. But you know, I would be greatly disappointed if it fails to show Jay's being changed by his experiences. (With Silent Bob, who can tell?) After all, they are among three humans, as I recall, who know for a fact that the Second Coming is nigh--has happened, in fact. If that doesn't make a person confront their own mortality, I don't know what will. With Jay, probably nothing. Including the knowledge of the Second Coming.