You either get Kevin Smith films or you don't. They're nearly always structured like a rom-com, feature seemingly random events with characters talking in a witty, pop culture-referencing, naturalistic, foul mouthed banter. Judd Apatow, the director of The 40 Year Old Virgin, seems to have nailed the style and made a huge commercial success out of it. But Smith's work, including Zack & Miri Make A Porno, Dogma and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back is still the grand master.
Mallrats, his second feature, is still his funniest, if not his best (Clerks 2). It expands upon his debut, Clerks, by having slacker kids hang around a shopping mall causing mischief, discussing life and pondering the fate of their love lives. Smith has never had much flair with the camera (he admits as such), but the still camerawork allows the perfectly timed slapstick and profanity strewn speeches to work uninhibited.
Highlights include the quick-to-anger Jason Lee 'stink-palming' bad guy Michael Rooker, Jay and Silent Bob's attempt to defeat mall security guard LaFours, the Stan Lee pep talk, Ethan Suplee's frustrated loser, the topless fortune teller and the Blind Date style finale. Laugh out loud hilarious in an unconventional way...if you've never seen a Kevin Smith movie, you could do yourself a favor and watch Mallrats.
1 comment:
Great movie. One of my most fave of comedies...along with (almost)everything Kevin Smith has done. It ain't big, it ain't clever but it sure makes me laugh. Stink palm is pure disgusting genius!
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