Chasing Amy - Criterion Collection

Rating:
Summary: Kevin Smith Turns Romantic Comedies on their ear!
Review: I have a "love-hate" relationship with Romantic Comedies. I really enjoy a decent one - and a couple of examples I'd consider "decent" are "While You Were Sleeping" and "When Harry Met Sally". I also recognize that there is probably no other movie genre that is as suitable for "date night": It's where men and women's interests overlap.

Bad Romantic Comedies can be really tedious things, and many of my pet peeves about movies come from this genre. For example, my LEAST favorite romantic comedy cliche is the moment 10 minutes before the end of the movie where our loving couple has THE "big fight" (often over nothing or something completely stupid or forgettable), followed by one of the characters tearing off to the airport just so that the OTHER partner will have the sudden revelation that they've *made a big mistake* and go tearing off for the airport as well - usually arriving only moments late. (With an equally cliche-filled smooching reunion that follows minutes later, before the end credits roll.)

But I digress. NONE of these horrid cliche's fill this movie, which is full of almost believable characters and completely believable heartache.

Kevin Smith has now created a half-dozen films, and while I would classify all of them somewhere between "watchable" and "excellent", "Chasing Amy" remains his masterpiece to date.

Holden (Ben Affleck) and Banky (Jason Lee) are 30ish buds-since-High-School who have grown into the guy fantasy job of writing a hit comic book. They get to alternate working on "Bluntman and Chronic" with making personal appearances at fan conventions where they get paid to sign autographs.

At one of these conventions they hook up with another "graphic novelist", Dwight Ewell's Hooper X - who is constantly educating Holden and Banky about being black and being gay. Ewell steals all of his scenes because Hooper is a perfect mix of bravado and angst which sufficiently masks his inner conflict for being black and gay.

Hooper introduces our heroes to Alyssa Jones, portrayed in a career-making performance by Joey Lauren Adams. Alyssa is cute, funny, talented, witty and Affleck's Holden falls for her in a big way. He interrupts his usual routine with Banky just to meet up with Alyssa before finding out at the end of the first act that Alyssa is a lesbian.

A moment to discuss the language, themes and realism of the movie. Like the Kevin Smith films that preceded it, Chasing Amy uses language that is frank and honest and uses raw street vernacular to describe many things, in particular sex. I have heard many criticisms about the story contained in Chasing Amy. Joey Lauren Adams doesn't fit lesbian stereotypes, and among those who seem to know, it is ridiculous to consider that a lesbian might be interested in a man - even if (perhaps especially if) the man is Ben Affleck. These things must be accepted to follow the movie. Smith makes it easy. In truth, the language and the issue of homosexuality are side issues in what is essentially a truly unique Romantic Comedy.

Like Smith's first feature "Clerks" the central conflict in "Amy" concerns one character's difficulties accepting the "history" of the other romantic interest. To say more would spoil the pleasure you would derive from enjoying the flick yourself, but it has to be stated that Smith's resolution involves heartbreak, plenty of humor, no cliches and no airports.

If you think you might enjoy an honest romantic comedy that includes street language, frank discussions about sex and gay characters, "Chasing Amy" fills the bill exactly.

Rating:
Summary: Chasing Amy
Review: Somehow Kevin Smith managed to dish out another classic. The film is about this comic book artist, played by Ben Affleck, that falls in love with a lesbian comic book artist. Throughout the film, Ben tries to win the girl over. Unfortunately, he soon finds himself questioning his relationship with her and her past. However, when he finds out that none of this matters to him because he really loves her, but he ends up making a huge mistake that he'll never forget. This film will literally take you on an emotional roller coaster ride that'll leave you speechless. One moment, you'll be laughing at the African comic book artist when he discusses his "White Hating Coon" comic, then crying at the heart felt ending. The only real flaw in this film is that Ben Affleck over-acts in some of the more relevant scenes, but it doesn't ruin the film. Overall, if you really want to see a modern and realistic love story, then see this movie.

Rating:
Summary: Crude, but very funny
Review: My brother got me turned onto the world of Jay and Silent Bob when he made me watch "Dogma" one day. I'll be the first to admit that I really only watched it because I love Ben Affleck. But I liked the movie too.

A week later he threw "Chasing Amy" at me and told me I would love it more. He was so right. There's not too much exposition at the beginning of the story, you're pretty much just thrown into the lives of Holden (Affleck) and his best friend Banky (Jason Lee) who are comic book writers in Northern Jersey. At a comic book conference, the duo meet Alyssa (the very talented Joey Lauren Adams) and Holden falls in love with her... only to discover that she is a lesbian.

Amist the crude language and high-charged sexual overtones, the heart of the story is friendship and whether or not Holden and Banky can pull it together and stay friends with a woman placed in between them. It's a great movie with great one-liners and of course, Jay and Silent Bob.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent but flawed
Review: I remember seeing Clerks when it first came out on video and knowing that I would always see every film that Kevin Smith ever made. I had to drive over an hour away from home to see this film in the only theater it was playing in Atlanta. And I was not disappointed. At least not at first.
I trust everyone knows the synopsis and characters by now, so I will skip it. I've read many of the reviews and have found none that point to the best scene of the film. Immediately after finding out Alyssa's sexuality, there is a scene between Banky and Alyssa primarily where they discuss sexual wounds. The scene is a clear homage to Spielberg's "Jaws;" the scene in which Hooper and Quint share sea-faring injuries. I remember laughing hysterically as I watched it, because I had seen Jaws only a few nights earlier.
Unfortunately, Smith's obvious love of film has not enabled him to develop a plot sense. As with "Dogma," this film captures you early with its sharp dialogue and intriguing characters, only to fall apart when conflict resolution arises. I would have been much happier with an even more depressing ending, if the theme of the movie was developed through the plot first and the characters second. But alas, Smith's writing is still not quite sophisticated enough to always tie up all the loose ends.(Hooper X just disappears)
On the positive side, Smith has become a much better actor since "Clerks" and that makes his scene much more enjoyable to watch. All in all, this film is definitely worth the price if you have a soft spot for Gen X comedies that have great characters and sharp dialogue.

Rating:
Summary: Straight up lovely.
Review: Kevin Smith's marvelous third film, Chasing Amy, is a beautiful story of romance with a twist you'll never forget: "this girl is gay." Joey Lauren Adams, Kevin Smith's one time lover, also appears in Mallrats, but this is the role you'll remember her from. Her performance is powerful and convincing. And Ben Affleck's role is so amazing it gat him marked as a "rising star." Watch this film to make your own opinion, but if you are anything like me, you'll laugh, cry, and want to appear in Smith's next film.