Volume 2, Number 5 -- May, 1997
| |
Volume 2, Number 5 -- May, 1997 |
 
|
Creatures From MarsKevin Smith's Chasing Amy delves into the male psycheby Tony Han
We (I) have pondered many times the simplicity of the male half of
the human species. It's an issue that my colleague has previously
entertained from a painfully blunt and understandably simple perspective
[reference to Dean's column]. Though, in all honesty, it's a notion that
the bravest, most honest, (and fairly stupid) representatives of our sex
have offered to the opposite sex for many generations. I'd like to believe
and hope that our female counterparts are thinking that all of this talk of
the stupidity and simplicity of the male is merely a collaborative ruse in
order to lull women into a false sense of superiority. Trust me: We're
not that complex. However, we never stop in our quest to better ourselves.
It's futile and usually makes a bigger mess of things, but it's as genetic
as our simplicity. And this is precisely topic that Kevin Smith stirs up
in his newest movie, Chasing Amy.
MENTAL STATE TO BE IN WHILE WATCHING THIS FILM: Definitely
relaxed; let's take this movie at a gentle buzz. Chasing Amy is
definitely a movie to be watched with the best of intentions as it was
Smith's when he made this film. The movie centers around one man's
struggle with his love for a lesbian and promiscuous woman. Throw into
this interpersonal soup his conflict with his long time friend over this
issue; his relationship with a experimental and experience woman and
homosexuality. This movie may sound like a Brother's McMullen, but it's
not for the weak hearted or close minded. It's closer to a mixture between
the Brother's McMullen and Jeffrey with a blunt (some may consider vulgar)
dialogue style and subject matter.
For Kevin Smith fans or simply those who have seen Clerks and
Mallrats (Smith's previous and only works) and remember
them, it's a well appreciated story that have ties with the first two.
It's not that the characters are the same, rather they all know about each
other. There are either blunt or subtle references between all three.
In terms of actors, Jason Lee from Mallrats returns to play
a different character, Holden McNeill's (played by Ben Affleck) sidekick,
but still giving his role a very hilarious twist. Ben Affleck himself
had played the evil young-men's-fashion store manager in
Mallrats. Joey
Lauren Adams actually returns as the same character from Mallrats.
And the most welcome familiar sight is the cameo scene with Jay and
Silent Bob played by Jason Mewes and, yes, Kevin Smith. And Silent Bob
actually has more than one line in this movie. And, lastly, Brian
O'Halloran who played Dante from Clerks and had a supporting
role in Mallrats pops up for a short moment in this movie.
With Kevin Smith's third movie released, it becomes easier to see
his concerns and movie making style. At this point, all three of his films
have been about the trials and tribulations of a guy trying 'understand' if
not court the female. And this leading male actor always has a male friend
to help and hinder him. In Chasing Amy, Smith has taken more
time to develop his themes than in the previous two. Clerks is
Smith's first movie and it shows. It made Kevin Smith famous for him not
only creating a quality film, but for doing it with the budget of the cost
of a new car. Mallrats is a homage to Eighties movies and
was understandably, though unwarrantedly trashed by reviewers. It was
Kevin Smith's pet project; an idea that he's probably been carrying around
like extra baggage. He made it, he knew the risks, and he has moved on.
Though the humorous element may never leave his films, Chasing
Amy is more serious than the other two and reflects, according to
a few interviews, problems that he himself are struggling with. The male
characters that Smith creates are closer to reality than many men are ready
to admit. Though it may be argued that Smith is only what twenty-five?
But for a twenty-something, he's got a good eye for characters.
OFF THE BEATEN PATH: I remember reading somewhere once that Kevin Smith is
an admirer of director Hal Hartley. In fact, in Spike, Mike, Slackers &
Dykes, a book about independent films, Smith refers to Hartley's film Trust
as impressive and inspirational. The last interesting connection between
Smith and Hartley is the gay black man in Chasing Amy, Dwight
Ewell. The only other place that I've seen Ewell is in two Hal Hartley
movies. A contemporary of Smith's and similarly based in New York, Hal
Hartley creates off-beat, intelligent movies about people and relationships.
I myself am a fan of Hartley's works and have enjoyed his pseudo French
'new wave' style. His works have frequently been compared to that of
Goddard. His concerns are fairly abstract and at times are translated into
actual characters in a difficult way. What human attributes are in Hartley
characters are put there entirely by the actor/actress and rarely by the
script and dialogue. About this time you should be wondering why the hell
I'm talking about Hal Hartley. For my own purposes, I just like Hal Hartley
and have surprised myself with the restrain I've shown so far. Though, if
he sounds interesting to you, I'd suggest trying his films. Hartley's full
length films are The Unbelievable Truth, Trust, Simple Men, Surviving
Desire, Amateur, and what may be released soon, Flirt.
I MAY SOME DAY RETURN TO THE BEATEN PATH (BUT I DON'T KNOW WHEN).
 
|