I am a huge, huge fan of Kevin Smith's View Askew films. I love the dialogue, the stories, the filthy humour and the intelligence that lies not too far below the surface so I was really looking forward to watching this film.
Kevin Smith is clearly an intelligent man. He is funny, has charisma and clearly knows how to hold an audience. He knows his target audience and plays up to them perfectly. You could see him as a stand up if he wasn't doing what he does (and doing it so well).
When this is at its best the dialogue and answers are conversational, informative, intelligent and incredibly funny. When he is discussing the homophobic claims thrown at his films he puts an intelligent, reasoned argument forward. And then throws in a dick joke. When he is talking about how he meets his wife is really sweet. Then he talks about his dick. The Dogma story (where he protests his own film) is hilarious. Im sure he throws a dick joke in as well.
It is this contrast that I love in his films and its great to see that this is genuinely part of his personality. It makes you appreciate his films on a whole other level.
The only thing that ruins this for me is the stupid bloody students asking "Do you want to get high dude", or screaming "woohoo", or "yous guys are my boyfriends favourite, we'll buy you drinks". From all the colleges he went to I am sure that there were more interesting exerts that could have been used.
On the whole, though, this is a very honest and open look inside the mind of a brilliant film maker. We get to hear stories of the politics and bullplop in Hollywood and it is great to see that someone that has found success in the system is still so down to earth.
I don't think this is, as some others have said, a film that people unfamiliar with his films will "get". It is certainly not for you if you dislike his films. The crudeness is there, the vulgarness is there and the humour is as puerile as possible. And it is fabulous! The line between toilet humour and genuine intelligence is fine but subtle.
Just a shame about those bloody American students!!
Kevin Smith is clearly an intelligent man. He is funny, has charisma and clearly knows how to hold an audience. He knows his target audience and plays up to them perfectly. You could see him as a stand up if he wasn't doing what he does (and doing it so well).
When this is at its best the dialogue and answers are conversational, informative, intelligent and incredibly funny. When he is discussing the homophobic claims thrown at his films he puts an intelligent, reasoned argument forward. And then throws in a dick joke. When he is talking about how he meets his wife is really sweet. Then he talks about his dick. The Dogma story (where he protests his own film) is hilarious. Im sure he throws a dick joke in as well.
It is this contrast that I love in his films and its great to see that this is genuinely part of his personality. It makes you appreciate his films on a whole other level.
The only thing that ruins this for me is the stupid bloody students asking "Do you want to get high dude", or screaming "woohoo", or "yous guys are my boyfriends favourite, we'll buy you drinks". From all the colleges he went to I am sure that there were more interesting exerts that could have been used.
On the whole, though, this is a very honest and open look inside the mind of a brilliant film maker. We get to hear stories of the politics and bullplop in Hollywood and it is great to see that someone that has found success in the system is still so down to earth.
I don't think this is, as some others have said, a film that people unfamiliar with his films will "get". It is certainly not for you if you dislike his films. The crudeness is there, the vulgarness is there and the humour is as puerile as possible. And it is fabulous! The line between toilet humour and genuine intelligence is fine but subtle.
Just a shame about those bloody American students!!