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Chasing Amy - Criterion Collection

Chasing Amy - Criterion Collection

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: What matters is that you love me Now
Review: Has someone ever judged you harshly on your imperfect personal history? Whether or not you answered yes or no, this film will make you question your own views about passing judgment on others' pasts. In a nutshell, Chasing Amy is boy meets girl, they fall in love, then it all comes crashing down in a matter of minutes. In renting this movie, I was seeking light-hearted fun, but what I got was much, much better than that. The acting was very good! The golden line in this film is "What matters is that you love me NOW, right?" Right?? Wrong? You decide. There's no universal answer. The ending was sort of shocking but it ices the cake nicely. Highly recommended for couples who are in the early 'getting to know you' stages. very good movie with zero sugar coating

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Mass Confusion but GREAT movie
Review: I love this movie.... this DVD is awesome. I love the guide to the Viewaskiewniverse, though it raises more questions about Willam Black. Also in the booklet should be a big fat letter from Kevin Smith explaining why he wrote Chasing Amy. The movie is great, the commentaries are funny.

"Where are the whores?!" <--Ben Affleck's amazing Charlie Sheen impression.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The best romantic comedy I've ever seen.
Review: I've never heard "Chasing Amy" described as a romantic comedy before, but that's exactly what it is. More accurately, it's a romantic comedy that's honestly hilarious, AND has a wonderful, believable romantic relationship--and how many so-called romantic comedies can you actually say that about? The script is unbelievably great, with lots of intelligent, humorous dialogue and some genuinely moving moments. Ben Affleck's speech in the car has to be seen to be believed! Anybody who thinks Affleck is just a shallow Hollywood dude will have their minds changed by his amazing performance in this film. With "Chasing Amy," Jason Lee and Joey Lauren Adams finally had roles worthy of their prodigious talents, they both really shine. Joey's character, Alyssa Jones, is a triumph for screenwriter/director Kevin Smith: a female character who's a well-rounded, real person--not just a beauty queen who's more of an idea than an actual human being (something we see often enough in mainstream films!). As is the case with a lot of independent movies, the language in "Chasing Amy" is often, uh, colorful--as it often is in real life--not sanitized in order to appeal to a focus group of grandmothers from small-town Nebraska, as most movies seem to be. If you've got a problem with that, this is not the movie for you. For the rest of us, here's a romantic comedy and plain old excellent movie that you can feel good about. In addition, the DVD verision has a great audio commentary track that any fan will love. Kevin Smith, you rock!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: better than I was expecting
Review: When I heard that Ben Afflack was going to be in the new Kevin Smith Movie, I really didn't know what to think. Ben Afflack didn't seem the type to be in this type of movie. After watching Chasing Amy, I was pleased by his performance and thought that it was good to see Kevin Smith doing a movie that had a slightly more serious tone to it (though the movie still is pretty funny). It really stand apart from Smith's other work.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: I loved this film!
Review: This is the 3rd Kevin Smith movie I've seen. I've been watching his films in an odd order. I started with Dogma (which was ok), then saw Jay and Silent Bob Strike back (which I didn't like). So, not knowing Chasing Amy was a Kevin Smith movie helped. I went in with no expectations.

It's a story about a guy named Holden (Ben Affleck). He lives with his buddy, Banky (Jason Lee), and they write comic books together. Holden meets Alyssa (Joey Lauren Adams) and basically falls head over heels for her. Soon, however, he finds out she's a lesbian. At first, he's crushed and disappointed. But she sees something in him, and convinces him that they can be friends. Somewhere in the middle of being friends, he falls in love with her. The rest of the story was kind of a surprise for me, so I won't go any further. (You have to watch this.)

Writer/director Kevin Smith is definitely a talented writer: his dialogue, for the most part, is very realistic and often hilarious. I think he really knows how to effectively capture this generation in words and actions. However, I felt he could've done a better job in directing. With such great actors at his disposal, most of his scenes sort of come out amateurish. Although dialogue is a big part of this film, I felt the actors could've done more to draw the attention away from the fact that some passages are long, winded and preachy. That, I believe, is the responsibility of the director to find and fix.

This is not to say the actors couldn't have done a better job. Sometimes, they're not as convincing as they can be. Affleck was decent, but he just looked to me like a guy who was acting (reading from a script). It wasn't bad, but it just didn't convince me. Adams was better, but her voice sounded strange when she was upset, and I was mostly caught up in the hoarseness of her voice instead of what she was saying. I can tell these are good actors though. They just need some more work.

The film is really funny. I find myself rewinding and viewing scenes over and over again. Then some parts get pretty serious towards the end, and then the laughs are few and far between. I was kind of disappointed with the ending though. I don't want to give it away, so I'll keep it at that.

Having said all that, I'm sure the reader will find it a blast to watch this funny and poignant film.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Something I don't believe anyone else has mentioned...
Review: Yes, this is definitely Kevin Smith's best picture, great casts, great performances, great story... that's obvious. What hasn't been made note of, though, is Ben Affleck's Charlie Sheen impersonation in the deleted scene intros. That alone is well worth the purchase price.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Great movie!
Review: This is my favorite film by Kevin Smith. I'm attempting to make movies now, and Chasing Amy was a real inspiration. The fact that Kevin Smith wrote the film about fairly true events, I decided to do the same. I just thought this movie was perfect. Ben Affleck is very good in this film, and has convinced me that he's a fairly good actor. A man named Dwight Ewell plays Hooper, the gay black guy who acts like Malcolm X to promote his comic book. There's a hilarious scene where he describes Star Wars as a rascist movie that had me falling out of my chair. Joey Adams played Alyssa, who the movie is about. I thought she was a good actress, but it's a shame that she dropped Kevin like a bad habit. But the real star of the show is Jason Lee. I can't get enough of that guy. He is the best young actor hollywood has, and they don't use him enough. He needs his own movie. He just has countless funny lines and actions that really bring the character of Banky to life. Kevin Smith's understated directing lets you pay more attention to what's being said then what is being done. all in all a perfect movie. Go see it.

P.S. - The DVD's outtakes are hilarious!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Kevin Smith's best work!
Review: This is a film that I can watch over, and over (and do) and still get the same enjoyment out of. I love all of Kevin Smith's movies, but this one is easily his best. While all of the films (Clerks, Mallrats, Dogma, and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back) have an amazing sense of humor, witty dialogue, and a touch of heart this one best showcases Kevin's heart. In the other films, you have a sense that it is a comic fantasy - due to the ridiculously funny occurrences. This film stays away from the slapstick humor, and stays real.
Kevin Smith has a way with words. That was proven in his very first film. In all the other films, there was a hint of sweetness but not much more. He outdoes himself in this film by providing the best dialogue of any of his films - giving the audience his trademark sense of humor in an emotionally thought provoking film.
The film is basically about three people - Banky Edwards (Jason Lee), Holden McNeil (Ben Affleck), and Allysa Jones (Joey Lauren Adams). Banky and Holden work together on a comic book hit, Bluntman and Chronic - which is based loosely on the lives of Smith's eccentric Jay and Silent Bob characters. They have a good time hanging out, and working on the book together.... until they meet Allysa at a comic book convention. Holden takes an immediate interest in Allysa - which is complicated by Allysa's homosexuality. The rest of the movie deals with the "love triangle" between two good friends and a sexually experienced woman, ending with an amazing confrontation between the three with Holden making a very odd request to settle the troubles. I have left out quite a bit, so as not to ruin the movie for anyone who hasn't had the pleasure of viewing it.
The film does feature the three career best performances from the main actors. In just his second film, Jason Lee turns in a perfect performance with his unique style of delivering lines, and giving his character just the right amount of emotional depth. Ben Affleck is amazing as well, and gives the viewer quite a bit to think about throughout the film. He delivers perhaps the best speech I have seen in a film in to Allysa in a jeep in the rain. Joey Lauren Adams, while not appearing in quite as many features as the other two actors, was also incredible. Her skills were best displayed in the scene outside of the hockey rink, which Smith mentions in the commentary took quite a few takes and a lot of emotion to get correct.
The dvd features some great extras. While most Smith fans would recommend Mallrats as his best dvd, I would argue that this beats it hands down. Not only because of the film itself, but because of the great bonus material. Smith's dvds are known for their insightful, and extremely humorous, commentaries. I have enjoyed the others, but I always felt as though there were too many people trying to talk at once. This problem is solved here, because there are only a few people on the track, and most of the talking is done by Smith and Affleck. They offer some great insight as to the making of the film, and as always offer quite a bit of humor along the way.
The dvd also contains quite a few deleted scenes. I usually feel as though deleted scenes are worth one watch, maybe two tops. On this dvd, I keep going back to them. Each scene has a little intro from Smith/Affleck, and is quite humorous on it's own. A few of the scenes are as good as the film itself, and I am still puzzled as to why they were left out (even though Smith explains it in the intros). The best example is "Mata**Hari", where Affleck and Lee really let loose on each other, and give powerful performances. It is probably my favorite scene in the film, and sadly it was left out.
To sum it all up, if you are a Smith fan and you haven't seen this film yet - shame on you. Buy two to make up for it. For those who may have been turned off by the slapstick humor from Smith's other films, or those who are just looking for a great film with an amazing amount of humor and emotion, you won't find any better than this.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: 3/4 a great movie
Review: This movie was very well done and believable right up until the climactic scene. (I won't ruin it) At that point the story loses credibility and becomes almost comical.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Full of touching insight and hilarious dialogue
Review: Being in love is not a funny business. Far from it, there's absolutely nothing funny about being in love. Kevin Smith knows that, and demonstrates it with "Chasing Amy," a film of insightfulness and hilarity rolled up like one of Jay and Silent Bob's joints. This is a film of unparalleled comedic high, getting back to the simplicity of "Clerks," abandoning the studio element that brought down "Mallrats" from true greatness. It's a wonderful film that really shows Kevin Smith at his best; he knows people, dialogue, and more importantly, he knows what it's like to be a guy with all the stupid insecurities we have.

Ben Affleck plays Holden McNeil in what will probably be his best performance until the next Kevin Smith movie puts him in a role like this. It's a tricky part because he goes through the biggest changes in the movie, but we always believe him. And when Holden falls head over heels for a pretty woman with the voice of a little girl begging for a pony named Alyssa (Joey Lauren Adams), things get really heated up between him and his best friend of 20 years, Banky (Jason Lee, in what I believed to be the best supporting performance of 1997). But things between this triangle aren't normal by any stretch because of a few simple but huge facts: Alyssa is a lesbian, through and through, and Banky could possibly be a self-loathing gay himself (a question never truly answered or directly addressed). This is all tense enough between them all, but it's when news of a possible 2 on 1 guy to girl group grope that Alyssa partook in surfaces that the movie takes on its true meaning. Holden isn't bothered by Alyssa being a lesbian turned hetero by any means, but the thought of her with men, having tons of experience makes him feel small, insecure, and downright weird. Why? All is revealed in the film, mostly during a scene with Jay and Silent Bob; yes, the scene everyone waits for is the second most pivotal scene in the film as Silent Bob finally opens up and we get a glimpse of the life so shrouded in muteness. Kevin Smith is perfect in his speech to Affleck, delivering every line like a memory recalled instead of dialogue written. If the message of the movie wasn't apparent before, it becomes obvious then, and it's perfect.

Yeah, I make all of this sound serious, but the movie is as funny as any I've ever seen, ranking right up next to "Clerks," only surpassed by "Dogma." There are the usual "Star Wars" gags, most of which delivered in a hysterical speech from a wonderful character named Hooper (another homage to Steven Spielberg's brilliant "Jaws"), who we learn is a "reviled gay man, and to top that off he's a gay black man." The scene comes second in a series of relentlessly funny sequences that only take a halt for that incredibly touching scene in the stopped vehicle. Throughout the rest of the film, Smith's characters argue the sexuality of the Archie comics, compare injuries gained in assortedly hilarious shenanigans, ask questions with the tact of an SAT booklet, and discover skeeball. From start to finish funny, and constantly sprinkled with wonderful bits of emotion, "Chasing Amy" is a comedy in a class of its own: The Kevin Smith Class, which to date has only five films in it. I love the minorities.


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