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10 Responses to “Sexual Life”

1. Grady Harp Says:
   July 29th, 2010 at 7:23 am
   

   Review by Grady Harp for Sexual Life
   Rating:
   Writer/Director Ken Kwapis (‘About a Boy’, ‘Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants’, episodes on TV series ‘ER’, ‘The Office’, ‘Malcolm in the Middle’, etc) knows his ways around the ups and downs of contemporary relationships, weighing the importance of the physical aspect of the union against the para-physical benefits and makes no prescription for which is of more importance. SEXUAL LIFE explores several couples whose married or about to be married status receives the testing of infidelity.

   A wedding photographer is frustrated with his executive girlfriend’s lack of intimacy and seeks physical satisfaction through an upscale prostitute who has her own rather solid ground views of her business. The photographer’s girlfriend is finding physical satisfaction with her married architect boss who in turn is trying to hide his infidelity from his wife who in turn feels she must seek outside satisfaction with an old college flame who happens to be gay and she turns to a hotel clerk at the point of a fantasy liaison for gratification. The hotel clerk happens to be having an affair with an engaged African American girl and is frustrated about her impending marriage to a frustratedly ‘correct’ African American male who feels he is following a proscribed duty and seeks attention from the prostitute who opens the whole story. How these intersecting couples work out their dilemmas and resolve their individual needs for expanded physical needs in the presence of the safety of relationships is the clever puzzle Kwapis presents – with the conclusions primarily left up to us, the viewers.

   The cast is homogeneously fine and attractive – Eion Bailey, Elizabeth Banks, Fionnula Flanagan, Anne Heche, Dule Hill, Sam Jaeger, Kerry Washington, Steven Weber, Steven Williams, Shirley Knight, James LeGros, Tom Everett Scott, and Azura Skye along with the minor characters. Kwapis keeps the flow integrated so that the story does indeed seem like a series of coincidences. The sexual scenes are more suggested than graphic and should not offend even the most skeptical viewer. This was, after all, a movie made for Showtime TV, but it stands very well as a tightly conceived and acted lesson about relationships. Well worth watching. Grady Harp, July 06
   

   
   
2. Toomuchnoise Says:
   July 29th, 2010 at 8:22 am
   

   Review by Toomuchnoise for Sexual Life
   Rating:
   I admit it… I watched this movie for the title. I live in a highly
   
   censored country yet they were showing it on Star Movies! I expected B-movie tawdry but was rewarded with a good movie about sex.

   The movie is a decent exploration of the ripple effect of sex — not a
   
   masterpiece — but a thoughtful look at the subject.

   It’s not a spoiler to say that the story line jumps from partner to
   
   partner through a series of sexual encounters. At times, the links loop
   
   around to reveal connection even the character are unaware of.

   It reminded me of the STD warnings that when you have sex with a
   
   person, you are also having sex with every one of THEIR partners.

   With any ensemble caste movie, the acting isn’t equal but there really
   
   is no bad acting in this film. I thought Anne Heche really stood out
   
   and her performance makes this a “must see” for Heche fans (like me.)

   If I was a TV director, I’d take this idea and turn it into a
   
   mini-series. Each one of the sub-plots could have been given given its
   
   own 73-minute treatment and explored a few of the loose ends that could not be developed in 96 minutes.

   
   
3. Harlow86 Says:
   July 29th, 2010 at 9:20 am
   

   Review by Harlow86 for Sexual Life
   Rating:
   I just watched this movie & found it to be even better than I originally thought it would be. The movie is about different people and how their sex lives and thus relationships intertwine. I found the characters to be interesting & the parts were well-acted. I thought it was neat how the film started with the character Lorna then ended with her. It was very well put together and flowed very nicely.

   The writing was also very good. It’s thought-provoking & really makes you think about relationships. I agree as one of the previously reviewers said, that if you liked the movie Closer you’ll probably like Sexual Life. However, if I were you I wouldn’t expect this film to be quite as powerful as Closer. It’s similar in that it deals with relationships, but it is not as personal. The viewer is held at more of a distance, whereas in Closer you feel as though you know the characters so well. Closer is so intimate. I saw Sexual Life to be more of a glimpse into people’s lives. That is the way it is meant to be though. It’s not quite the same kind of film as Closer, so I guess it just depends what you prefer.

   I would definitely recommend Sexual Life. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I know I will watch it again and again.

   
   
4. Michael Kerjman Says:
   July 29th, 2010 at 9:44 am
   

   Review by Michael Kerjman for Sexual Life
   Rating:
   A really funny,educative,clever movie of people and their habbits as strangers have been united by prostitute serving and meeting them in different situations.

   
   
5. Andy Marlinata Says:
   July 29th, 2010 at 10:10 am
   

   Review by Andy Marlinata for Sexual Life
   Rating:
   With all the good reviews around this movie, I expect a lot more. After watching it, it’s a depressing movie with most of them are adulterers. Acting are not even a b movie, probably c movie?? I don’t if it’s the director or the actors/actresses? anyway not touching at all, not as interesting, no great sex scenes and of course, not a great story and message. Sorry..

   
   
6. RMurray847 Says:
   July 29th, 2010 at 10:30 am
   

   Review by RMurray847 for Zack and Miri Make a Porno [Blu-ray]
   Rating:
   First there was Kevin Smith, with his patented brand of hugely over-the-top raunch in CLERKS. As he “matured,” he added a level of true feeling behind this work in CHASING AMY. And then he sort of lost his way with a few pretty awful films. Meanwhile, Judd Apatow established himself as the King of Sweet Raunch with 40 YEAR OLD VIRGIN, KNOCKED UP, SUPERBAD, etc. In these films, the characters spoke about sex with a level of filthy detail never before heard. They indulged in reckless behavior. They were the kinds of people films had for decades told us were “bad.” Yet we recognized people we knew in them, or even ourselves. They were also infused with an innocence and an acknowledgement that behind all the strutting bluster, we all just want to be loved. They acknowledged the weakness in men, and the strength in women who can make these men pull themselves up by their bootstraps and start to take life seriously. This was the Apatow “brand.”

   Now Kevin Smith has come storming back to reclaim his part of that little mountain. While his ZACK AND MIRI MAKE A PORNO doesn’t re-establish him as King, it reminds us that Apatow and others owe him a debt…and that he’s still capable of out-raunching the raunchiest stuff we’ve seen. And, as will be no surprise to anyone who has seen the trailers for the film, he mixes in the “sweet” stuff pretty well too.

   The presence of Apatow disciple Seth Rogan makes the film seem more like an Apatow film than perhaps it really is. For example, in movies like SUPERBAD, there is actually relatively little sex being had. Characters talk about it, and they sure would like to be indulging in it…but not much happens. In ZACK & MIRI, a great deal of sex is had and shown. It is a far more visually explicit movie than Apatow’s (the full frontal male nudity in WALK HARD being a notable exception). I wouldn’t want to compare the level of explicit imagery in the dialogue side by side with a SUPERBAD, but I suspect that ZACK & MIRI is also verbally just a smidge more explicit as well.

   Zack (Rogan) and Miri (Elizabeth Banks) have been friends since first grade, and now, on the eve of their 10th High School Reunion, they are roommates sharing a rundown rental and one very run down car. They both have dead-end jobs and apparently no ambition. They also have not paid bills in quite awhile. While neither seems exactly HAPPY with life, both are content in the little routines they have to get through the day.

   Miri forces Zack to go with her to the reunion, because she’s hoping to shamelessly throw herself at the “boy” she crushed on in school (Brandon Routh). Zack, meanwhile, has an interesting conversation with this guys boyfriend (a hilarious Justin Long, as we’ve never seen him), who apparently is a well-known gay porn actor. Naturally, Miri is crushed to find this guy she intended to sleep with is gay, but the two are more upset to find their hot water and electricity has been turned off. But Zack comes up with the “great” idea to make a pornographic movie in order to pay their bills.

   I won’t dwell on the specifics anymore, but you can imagine how things might develop. The two hapless friends have no money and no video camera, so they have to turn to friends to underwrite their crazy venture, and an unlikely troupe of filmmakers develops. There are obligatory scenes of auditions and the struggle to come up with the right title for the film. (If this weren’t a “family” site, I’d share a few…the one involving a twist on LAWRENCE OF ARABIA just about made me spew soda through my nose)

   It’s all quite, quite raunchy. While not literally as explicit as a real porn film, not all that much is held back. I can sure see why Smith had to fight to avoid an NC-17 rating. Under absolutely no circumstances to you want to see this film with your kids…no matter how old your kids are!

   Will Zack & Miri find out they are right for each other? Will doing porn ruin their discovery? The film holds few plot related surprises, frankly. It is the verbal dazzle that keeps you entertained.

   And the performances. Seth Rogan pretty much gives us the same character again…but he does have an ease about his acting that makes him enjoyable. His characters may be insecure, but Rogan is not. But it is Elizabeth Banks who surprises the most. I’ve seen her in a lot of smaller roles (on “Scrubs”, for example) and to be honest, she’s struck me as vaguely perky but lightweight. Here, it is frankly a bit startling to see her right in this raunchy mix, her mouth as dirty as anyone else. Smith has empowered her, that’s for sure (don’t know if that’s a good thing for “society” or not). She also finds some true depths in Miri, particularly as the film winds down, that elevate her performance to a special level. It’s not Oscar winning stuff, exactly, but it will make people sit up and take notice of her. This, and her praised performance in W., have made it quite a good year for her.

   The movie is hilarious. That’s what you want to know, isn’t it? My wife and I both laughed uproariously many time. It will offend you, too. Smith loses control a few times, with some random scenes that grind the story to a halt. Most revolved around the character played by Jason Mewes (better known as “Jay” in a myrid of Smith’s earlier films) a young man who makes it into the film due to some “special talent.” He’s funny, but his stuff seems out of place…as though Smith stopped his movie to let his old buddy riff on some dirty stuff. There’s also some stuff about a constipated actress that devolves into the nastiest couple of seconds you’ve ever seen, that even so are unbelievable, unlikely, unfunny AND distract from a key moment for the story.

   (By the way, I apologize if I’ve offended anyone with the review…tough to talk much about this film without stretching the boundaries a little. If you find my review offensive…please skip the film.)

   Overall, Smith has made a funny and sometimes tender film. If Judd Apatow had never existed, this film would be groundbreaking. Now it is a familiar formula, with the raunchy dial turned to 11. But, if that’s something you’ve enjoyed before, you’ll get many big laughs from ZACK & MIRI!

   
   
7. Jason Says:
   July 29th, 2010 at 10:39 am
   

   Review by Jason for Zack and Miri Make a Porno [Blu-ray]
   Rating:
   I won’t beat around the bush: “Zack and Miri” is easily one of the funniest movies I’ve ever seen. It’s a laugh riot from beginning to end, and even after the credits role (hint hint).

   There is no disguise or misdirection; it’s exactly what is expected. It’s foul-mouthed concoction of obscenities, smut, juvenile humor, tons of pop-culture references, and a good deal of smart dialogue. It’s parody at the pinnacle of the genre, making fun of the 70′s and 80′s porn industry, when it was in a developmental and transitional phase before today’s high-end adult films – or so I’ve heard anyway. Make no mistake; however, there is also a very serious approach taken (which gets a bit sappy), and true devotion and respect is paid to not only porn (which is odd), but also the hilariously crass Smith (Apatow-esque) comedy (which is expected). Smith nails it.

   There are countless highlights and laughs throughout. The best scenes, however, are those leading up to filming of the cheesy porn. Selecting the name for the movie, coming up with “Star Whores” (and hilarious names for the rest of the series), while ripping through raunchy variations of several other movies, almost made me convulse from laughter. Some may have a problem believing Seth Rogen as a porn star, thinking the concept as real as the silicone on a typical adult set, but Ron Jeremy pretty much negates that argument. There is no doubt, however, that Elizabeth Banks could easily be a megastar if she were to turn to the dark side. Their onset chemistry is definitely what makes the movie work.

   It’s definitely not for the easily offended. I’d go so far as to say that it’s a fairly smart comedy if one can get around perpetual F-Bombs. It’s a witty movie about raunchy intercourse that pushes the socially inhibition and sexually awkward buttons.

   The way I see it, there are two groups of people who will watch this movie. One group knows what they are getting into; they’re going to see a Kevin Smith flick that is sure to be crude and contain poop humor. The other group will be people who will frown at the profanities and cover their eyes at the vulgarity. To the former I say: You’ll absolutely bust a gut watching this movie. I know I did. To the latter I say: What the heck were you expecting? Are you really so dumb as to not know what you were about to watch? It’s called “Zack and Miri Make a Porno” for goodness sakes! Go watch a nice chick-flick or a documentary instead.

   In closing, this was the best comedy of 2008, and it’s not even close. They are so devoted to concept of this movie that there is even a guy on the crew named Buster Pile! I kid you not. Hilarious.

   
   
8. terpfan1980 Says:
   July 29th, 2010 at 11:30 am
   

   Review by terpfan1980 for Zack and Miri Make a Porno [Blu-ray]
   Rating:
   I had the luxury of seeing this film on the big screen with a friend. Having seen reviews we knew to expect it to be funny, but also that it would be crude. It was that and more.

   Be aware that like many of Judd Apatow’s films Zack and Miri includes ‘bonus’ full frontal footage (male, full frontal footage that is) to add to the humor and/or shock value. Expect at least a couple of those type scenes and don’t say you weren’t forewarned before watching the film.

   Once past that issue, viewers should also be aware that there’s one scene that isn’t for those with a weak stomach. It’s quite funny, but also incredibly crude and honestly surprised me that it made it past the MPAA on the way to the R rating that the film carried when it was aired in theatres. You’ll likely find it nearly impossible not to laugh, but it’s also going to be something you’ll want to turn away from. Note that I don’t want to spoil the film or the scene, but you’ll be able to see what’s coming and can probably figure out in advance what I’m referring to so you should also be able to be prepared.

   The film itself is not just funny and crude (and lewd as well), it’s also, as promised on the quote from Time magazine critic Richard Corliss on the cover art for the Blu-ray disc “Sweet, Funny and Sexy.” While writer/director Kevin Smith was obviously going for cheap humor, he opted to wrap it up nicely in a sweet tale of two down on their luck friends. Thanks to a very funny supporting cast, everything works pretty well and makes the end result a film that should crack you up.

   What isn’t included on the Blu-ray, unfortunately, is a commentary from the director. Smith decided not to do a commentary track for the current release of the film. Whether one will be done in the future likely depends on sales of the film on disc as well as whether or not Smith ever finds time to go back and record it. Even without a commentary track the film includes a substantial load of special features including a making of featurette, a large number of deleted scenes, outtakes and other fun stuff.

   The video quality is very good. Not necessarily what technophiles would label as reference quality, but still very good. Kevin Smith’s films don’t necessarily live or die by their cinematography, but it also couldn’t be said that he doesn’t care about such things either. Knowing that Smith’s films are more about the dialoge and character interactions, you might expect the video to be apparently less important, but that really isn’t the case here.

   Sound quality on the Blu-ray has raised some concerns for some viewers. I’ve seen complaints that the audio levels are low requiring some viewers to crank the volume a bit so as not to miss the dialogue. That’s very much a your mileage may vary type thing as the results on different sound setups vary. Just be aware you may find yourself cranking the volume a bit more for this disc than you might normally do.

   One final complaint that may come up – depending upon where you buy your copy of this disc you may find that you get different cover art than you see at other outlets. Some retailers are using different cover art that somewhat censors the packaging. Something about the use of the P word makes some retailers nervous. :-p

   Kevin Smith fans probably long ago considered this must buy material. Non-fans may be reading the reviews (like this one) to help make up their mind. Again, I’d caution that you should know going in that it is crude and lewd, but as long as you aren’t easily offended you might find it quite funny. For me it’s definitely worth the purchase.

   
   
9. David Baldwin Says:
   July 29th, 2010 at 11:43 am
   

   Review by David Baldwin for Zack and Miri Make a Porno [Blu-ray]
   Rating:
   I was an avid Kevin Smith fan early in his career. “Clerks”, “Mallrats”, and “Chasing Amy” were inventive and original. For the last ten years or so Smith seems to be resting on his laurels. He seems to think a barrage of scatalogical dialogue and outrageous visual gags is creative. It just gets numbing and tiresome after awhile. Yes, there is a theme here in that can you fully divorce feeling from the sexual act if you truly love the one your with. Noble sentiment but it’s undermined by the barrage of crude humor. Smith should look to his predecessors like Lenny Bruce, Richard Pryor, and the Farrelly brothers to see how to pull this off. Better yet is taking cues from Jud Apatow who probably could mined this material for all it’s worth. It seems like Smith is trying to push the envelope of what you can get away with in an “R” rated movie instead making something profound and lasting. Finally, star Seth Rogen is one of the brightest comic stars to come along in awhile. Hopefully, he can extend himself as an artist because even he is starting to repeat himself.

   
   
10. Chris Luallen Says:
    July 29th, 2010 at 12:07 pm
    

    Review by Chris Luallen for Zack and Miri Make a Porno [Blu-ray]
    Rating:
    Director Kevin Smith seems to be trying to copy Judd Appatow’s recipe for success, in this raunchy yet sentimental comedy. Zack (Seth Rogen) and Miri (Elizabeth Banks) are long time best friends who decide to make an amateur porn to pay off their debts. There are a few funny moments along the way. But the ending is entirely predictable and most of the ongoing attempts at humor are more disgusting than hilarious. 14 year old boys obsesed with bodily functions and explicit anatomical references will probably enjoy this movie. Others can easily find a better use of their time and money.

    
    

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