The film which settled once and for all whether or not Kevin Smith had it in him to write and direct a story not based on his convenience store experiences, this star-studded (though not many were recognisable at the time) love story is without a doubt quite exceptional in it's genre. Comic book artist Holden is quite content with his life, his thriving business and his relationship with his best friend Banky (Lee) until an encounter with fellow sketcher Alyssa (Adams) leaves him falling in love. His plight is made all the worse when he discovers that she is a lesbian and that though they may be great friends he might never be able to take it to the next level.
Without a shadow of a doubt this is a film which will speak to all people who have either loved and lost or had their love unrequited. It's unusual lead characters and their ever-changing relationships serve only as a metaphor for all of our failed romances and need to grow and learn from our mistakes. Smith's gift for lengthy but wholely spot-on dialogue is solidified and highlights the great acting talents of all the main characters. The verbose conversations of Holden, Banky, Alyssa et al are superb, rounding out their characters, moving the plot on and most of all making an emotional connection with the audience. When Holden expounds his love for Alyssa or when Banky rips into his 'pseudo-relationship' you can see where each character is coming from, their reasons and ultimately their inner being.
Smith's writing and direction is excellent keeping a tight plot restrained and not allowing too much room for his dialogue to wander off. His sense of humour, a kind of all-knowing dick and fart joke mentality, is perfect for the films central idea and he continues where he left off in Clerks (and marginally in Mallrats) with bizarre characters and situations thrown in left, right and centre.
For a film which covers such a sensitive subject as homosexuality and the right to choose what and who you want to be, it does not pander to either right-wing conservatives or liberal lefties. Smith allows his own judgement the freedom of expression and comes out with a very mature, open and progressive theme on sexuality. With both homophobes and heterophobes covered in equal measure it treads an excellent line between being truthful and offensive and the curve balls it throws in here and there serve to keep the audience thinking. This is not a film which campaigns for either side, it's a film about love and finding that one person you want to spend the rest of your life with, no matter who or what they are. |
