Review: Zack and Miri Make a Porno

How does a movie, that is so vulgar, so over the top in sexual content, and is centered around making a pornography…how does that movie end up being quite touching? It’s a question you can only answer by seeing Kevin Smith’s latest film, Zack and Miri Make a Porno. The Jersey-born director has traveled this road before however. In Clerks 2, some of the most disgusting (hilarious) comments about hobbits made a die-hard Lord of the Rings fan throw up all over the place. There was a donkey and …well, I’ll just hope you saw it so I don’t have to repeat it. But Kevin Smith makes characters that you genuinely care about, that’s the bottom line, and it’s pretty incredible. The sentimental parts of Clerks 2 or Zack and Miri don’t fill up the whole running time though – these movies, this movie…is absolutely hilarious.

Now when I say that Zack and Miri is hilarious, your taste in humor has to be broad and very accepting. This isn’t light humor to get a few laughs, this movie has outrageous moments to bring the house down. And it does that in a number of ways. First of all, yes the movie is based around a porn movie, so there’s sex (spoiler!). But who says the sex can’t be the funniest parts of the movie? The locations of the sets, the different cast members in their porno, and the reactions by the cameraman (you might recognize him) are hysterical to say the least. As for that cameraman, there’s one scene where…well I don’t want to ruin it. Just be ready.

This movie centers on sexual humor, crude humor, vulgar humor, and some extreme physical humor. But this movie is absolutely nothing without the cast that it had. Kevin Smith chose the perfect people in the perfect places to make it work. Let’s start out with the producer – Craig Robinson (aka – Daryll from the Office, and the scene-stealing doorman in Knocked Up). The way he delivers his lines may be the best part of all, but like he does in The Office, he steals laughs from the main characters with regularity. His quiet demeanor can switch to a race filled rant in half a second: it’s incredible.

Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks make a damn good porno (The Weinstein Company/Pop Matters)

But speaking of the main characters, Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks – they absolutely nailed it. No pun intended. They’re best friends…high school reunion attendees…unable to pay bills…make a porno together. They come across as real and genuine, caring friends. The high school reunion is hilarious desperation and mockery. When it finally comes to the characters making a porno and the anxiety that builds – is it just sex for money? – we already care enough about the characters to let this film slide into the sentimental and touching scenes. And trust me, there was enough humor to carry it this far anyway.

Kevin Smith has a knack for choosing situations we might have thought of before, but never dared to imagine it the way he puts on film. They’re almost typical, yet they produce something beyond humor. Past the laughs are genuine heartfelt moments. Zack and Miri is loaded with them at the back end (again, I apologize, no pun intended there). The scenes are emotional, touching, and really work. As this crazy cast can film sex scenes, they can also film a little love. Zack and Miri really touches all the bases.

ZACK AND MIRI MAKE A PORNO: