Clerks II

Clerks II
2006- The Weinstein Company
Directed by Kevin Smith



SYNOPSIS
30-something slackers Dante (Brian O'Halloran) and Randal (Jeff Anderson) find themselves working at a fast food restaurant after their beloved convenience store burns down. Dante has a fiance (Jennifer Schwalbach) and is set to move to Florida with her and begin a new life. But, his feelings for his boss (Rosario Dawson,) jitters about his new future, and the loss of his best friend leave him questioning starting this new chapter in his life.



MY THOUGHTS

Many people are quick to disparage Kevin Smith and his films, but I'm not one of them. Horrible word of mouth kept me from seeing the film in theaters back in '06, but I'm glad I finally saw it.

Smith's greatest strength is in his writing. He has an amazing ear for dialogue (which is funny since his onscreen character is mostly silent.) The jokes come at a fast pace and are nearly all razor-sharp. With as many dick, fart, and gay jokes as Smith has peppered his screenplays over the years, they still remain fresh and original. Clerks 2 touched on some racial humor for the first time in the series (apart from Chris Rock in other installments.) The "porch monkey" scene is probably the second funniest in the whole film and adds an extra level of edginess, since fans have been largely desensitized to the dick, fart, and gay jokes.

Smith has been criticized for his directing style, which seems to always feature people standing against a wall talking. Much of the film fits that assessment, but in one scene outside the restaurant, he does a dolly shot around Dante and Randal that spins around them at an almost nauseating speed... then cuts to Jay and Silent Bob standing against a nearby wall. It seems he's giving a big "Fuck You!" to his critics.

I was surprised at the level of emotional depth to the film. As someone in his early 30's with a shit job, I really connected with Dante and Randal, more so than the first film. Much of the conversations in the jail about doing something really hit home and was reminiscent of conversations I've had and thoughts that run through my mind. That's probably why I felt more here than say in 'Chasing Amy' because I've never been in love with a lesbian.

Anderson and O'Halloran know their roles well, and each other, and it shows on the screen.
Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith also know their roles and add a ton of the humor. I liked how their characters remained on the periphery of the story and weren't essential to it, like an homage to their roles in the original film. Their characters have grown up more than Dante and Randal have, having sobered up and found Jesus, yet still sell weed.
I didn't buy Rosario Dawson working in a fast food restaurant though, but she was good.

The standout supporting performances were Trevor Fehrman as Elias and Zak Knutson as the Sexy Stud. Knutson's donkey show scenes are the most hilarious part of the whole film. Like Dawson's character says "I'm disgusted and repulsed and... and I can't look away."
As with other films in the series, we see familiar faces pop up for cameos like Ben Affleck, Jason Lee and others.

The film benefits from great dialogue and hilarious situations, as well as a great emotional depth and gives a fitting farewell (?) to the series... and an excellent companion piece to the original Clerks.