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| Chasing Amy/Miramax |
The film is a true romance movie, filled with cuss-filled rants, and comic books. A romance film, nonetheless, told in a very Kevin Smith way. That, by no means, is a shot at the writer/director as I love all of his movies. But meaning that the story is told in a non-traditional way, i.e. our hero's love interest being a lesbian.
The movie opens at a comic book convention, set in New York. This is where we are introduced to Holden(Ben Affleck), our male lead, and Banky, his potty-mouthed best friend(Jason Lee).
Question: Do inkers really get disrespected the way Banky does throughout the movie? I would hope not; not everyone can ink and shade with such brilliance.
After clearing a Q and A with a planned "angry black man" stunt planned by Hooper X(Dwight Ewell) with the help of the pair, we meet the non-traditional Alyssa Jones(Joey Lauren Adams).
A game of darts and a shared moment later, Holden and his bestest pal, Banky, find themselves in a club, "with a lot of chicks." Overconfident and cocky as hell, Holden assures Banky that he will "hook up" with Alyssa. But, as fate would have it, it was not meant to be.
While Banky argues with Hooper about Archie's sexuality, Holden still tries to process what had taken place moments before, when Alyssa dedicated a sing to a special someone, only to find it was for her...pause for dramatic effect...GIRLFRIEND.
After convincing a still-shocked Holden that a friendship between the two would be a good idea, we're treated to a very nice montage is shown of Holden and Alyssa spending a lot of quality time together. While it was nice, it was no Rocky IV montage. I mean that thing had it all; anvils being lifted, running in the snow and even a damn car being pulled by Rock-o in the snow, no less.
The former could've been on that epic level, but what we were shown was nice, I guess.
Anyway, a confrontation between Banky and Holden leads the latter to inform Banky that he's in love with our precious Alyssa.
That realization also leads to Holden baring his soul in his SUV, while driving home in the rain from a cafe, I'm guessing. I'm not really sure, they didn't show any signs or labels there.
The setting they're in, in that scene, seems to be a metaphor for what's to come, as Alyssa doesn't hold back her anger towards Holden for bombarding her with emotions and feelings. Gross.
The storm between the two dissipates as she comes running after him with a warm embrace, followed by some good, old fashioned face sucking. Seriously, when Ben Affleck was kissing Joey Lauren Adams, it looked like he was trying to eat her face. He definitely would've made a good zombie.
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| Ben Affleck and Joey Lauren Adams in Chasing Amy/Miramax |
Alyssa faces similar circumstances as she tells her friends about being love with a man. Maybe these are the type of man-hating, agenda-having "dykes" Banky was talking about a few scenes earlier.
With regards to their friends, the couple faces an uphill battle full of obstacles, including Holden himself.
Showing Holden Alyssa's high school yearbook, Banky tells him how she got her nickname, "Finger Cuffs," in school. I bet you want me to describe it all to you, huh? Well, pervert, I'm not going to. Watch the movie, if you haven't, and find out for yourself.
A local hockey game foreshadows this scene perfectly, as Holden can't seem to let go of the information Banky had given him concerning Alyssa's past. Basically, he's being a big baby. The past is called the past for a reason, and Holden is just being a big, no-neck having baby. Why don't you go cry to your mama, you big baby?
Not able to shake said information, Holden basically cross-examines poor Alyssa about her past to the point where she storms out of the ice rink.
Not even an apology from her as to why she never told him about being with, not that it's any of his business, other men before him, will stop his butt-hurt. It seems to me that if he wanted a "normal" relationship, he probably shouldn't have fallen in love with a lesbian, right?
Enter Jay and Silent Bob. Jay being Jay and Silent Bob not being so silent as he gives sage advice to Holden. He tells him a story about how ruined his relationship with "the one" because of self inadequacies in comparison to her past.
The "Chasing Amy" story seemed to had resonated within Holden, seeing as how he didn't notice the dynamic duo had left without paying their tab. Nooch.
Even with all of the knowledge Silent Bob bestowed onto he, Holden never truly gets it until the very end.
Chasing Amy is a story about love, sex-- sex and love, and a lot of non-traditional stuff in between. But, it does bring up a major issue with relationships. Even with knowing what will end a relationship, we still continue to make the same mistakes, not learning-- not wanting to learn, as we need to experience the joys and pitfalls of relationships. I guess that's how we to grow enough to be able to tell our kids what not to do, knowing full well that they will eventually make the same exact mistakes we once made.
That's life; learning and passing on knowledge, regardless if it's been absorbed.
One of the better movies by Kevin Smith, it deserves a solid 4/5 stars
