Review of Zack and Miri Make a Porno (2008) by Albert A — 13 Sep 2013

Zack: That's what porn is: turning the normal into abnormal, by fucking it!

"What would you do to get out of debt?".

Zack and Miri Make a Porno is a surprisingly great movie. This is Kevin Smith doing what Kevin Smith does and it doesn't hurt when you team up with a guy like Seth Rogen who seems like the ideal cast member for a Kevin Smith film. It weaves the disgusting, raunchy Kevin Smith dialogue into a vulgar art form and still the movie comes across as sweet at the end. That's the genius of Kevin Smith when he goes for the love stuff.

Zack and Miri have been platonic best friends their whole life and are currently living together. The bills and debts are piling up on them though and Zack's job at a coffee house isn't going to really solve it. When they run into an ex-peer at their 10th high school reunion and learn that he's gay and his boyfriend is a gay porn star; Zack has the epiphany that him and Miri should make a porno. After getting a producer, someone to shoot it, and some talent, they go to work, but the two are hiding deeper feelings for one another than they believe.

I can see some of the content being a turnoff to some of the more conservative types out there, but that's to be expected with a director like Kevin Smith. If you like his brand of humor, Zack and Miri is a great little watch. It's not necessarily typical Kevin Smith though. It has a different feel to it then movies like Clerks, Chasing Amy, and Mallrats. Still even with the different feel, it's really funny and a whole lot of fun.

I loved every minute of this movie. I may be a little high on praise though as I am a huge Kevin Smith fan and a huge Seth Rogen, and I'm also a huge fan of how beautiful Elizabeth Banks is. This is one that is really worth seeing even if you're sick of the raunch infested comedies that come out all the time now. This is one that is able to counter its vulgarity by evening it up with some sweet plot and character shifts. .