I'm a huge fan of Kevin Smith's movies. In case you don't know who he is, he's the guy who wrote and directed "Clerks," "Mallrats," "Chasing Amy," "Dogma," and "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back." He's a very talented writer, and though his directing leaves a lot to be desired, his talent as a writer is strong enough to override that. Besides, he's a comic book geek who's made it big as a filmmaker, and I like his movies a lot, so I gotta support the guy.
I've liked every movie Kevin Smith has made. "Clerks" was clunky, but hilarious. "Mallrats" flopped in theaters, but time has been good to it. Many who didn't like it before seem to like it a lot now. Me personally, I love the movie, but it took a while before I gave it a chance. "Chasing Amy" is his masterpiece. I have a problem with the ending, but the rest of it is excellent. "Dogma" was unusual, but very clever. I like it a lot. "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back" was like Kevin Smith getting all of his juvenile and vulgar humor out of his system. It's not for everybody, but I laugh my ass off every time I watch it. All of his films have been silly, funny, and very entertaining. Sure, some of it bordered on immature, but as escapist entertainment, it works. "Jersey Girl" is something completely different. It's the first film Kevin Smith has ever made that isn't rated R. "Jersey Girl" is a PG-13 Kevin Smith film. Kevin Smith lite. A Kevin Smith chick flick.
The truth is, if Kevin Smith didn't make this movie, I wouldn't have seen it. It would have been just another chick flick to avoid. I had to see it, though, I had to see a Kevin Smith movie that wasn't a "Kevin Smith movie," ya know what I mean? The good news is that like Kevin Smith's other films, it has great characters, excellent dialogue, and very charming performances. The bad news is that it really is a chick flick, and it also has the grave misfortune of relying heavily on tired formulas, lame clichés, and way too many cheesy moments. But was I entertained? Yes, I was. Quite a bit, actually.
Much has been written and said about Jennifer Lopez being in the film, but I gotta tellya, even though she was in the movie, it was only for ten minutes at most. Not only that, I enjoyed her performance! I'm not a huge J-Lo fan (I liked her a lot in "Out of Sight," but everything after that was lame; "Maid in Manhattan" and "The Wedding Planner" are shining examples), but when given the right role in a good movie, she can be very good, and I really liked her in "Jersey Girl." Then there's her ex-boyfriend, Ben Affleck.
I know it's not hip to say it, but I really like Ben Affleck as an actor. Sure, he's been in some awful movies lately, but he really is an underrated actor. A lotta people are quick to rip on him for frivolous reasons, but watch him in "Chasing Amy" or "Changing Lanes" or "Going All the Way" (an independent film he did years ago that I didn't particularly enjoy, but I thought he was great in). Or better yet, watch him in "Jersey Girl." The guy really can act, but people have preconceived notions about him because of the overexposure. Hopefully when time passes, the media will stop hounding him, he'll start choosing better roles, and more people can appreciate his acting.
Maybe I'm just being biased 'cause Ben Affleck seems to be a really down to earth guy offscreen. He's been in every single Kevin Smith film except for "Clerks," and in almost all of the DVDs, he takes part in group commentary, and he really comes across as a regular guy. He doesn't seem like a big Hollywood celebrity, he seems like a guy you'd hang out with at the comic book store.
The so-called "Jersey Girl" in the film is played by a young newcomer named Raquel Castro, who makes her feature film debut. The little girl is adorable, and her cuteness does a lot to make her seem likeable in a role that could have easily been very, very irritating. She's not the best actress in the world, though. In many scenes, it's as though she's holding in a laugh. For all I know, she'll grow into a fantastic actress, but she's not there yet. She really is an adorable little girl, though.
Liv Tyler played Ben Affleck's girlfriend in "Armageddon," and here, she plays... well, I can't say girlfriend, I'll just say female companion. I really liked Liv Tyler in this movie. In fact, this is probably the best role I've ever seen her play. Many fans of "The Lord of the Rings" may disagree (she played "Arwen" the elf in the trilogy), but my personal opinion is that this is the film that truly showcases her talent.
I was surprised with George Carlin's performance. He did some real acting, something I totally didn't expect. I don't mean that he cried in every scene, and had a whole lotta long-winded monologues. He gave a subtle performance that I didn't think he was capable of. Very surprising, very impressive.
Jason Biggs is in the film, but unfortunately, he's in it for about as much time as Jennifer Lopez. Too bad, 'cause he's one of my favorite young actors, and I think he could really kick ass in a Kevin Smith movie. He's a welcome addition to the film, but I woulda liked to have seen more, especially his relationship with Affleck's character.
Keep your eyes open for the cameos, by the way, especially if you're familiar with Kevin Smith's "Askewniverse."
I think that Kevin Smith has grown a lot as a filmmaker (he's certainly grown a lot as a director, thanks to his DP, Vilmos Zsigmond), but why did he use all those obvious clichés? I kinda think he did it on purpose, but even if he did, why?
"Jersey Girl" has plenty of flaws, but I was still entertained. Even when Kevin Smith makes a chick flick, there's something there for me to enjoy. This film has great characters, great dialogue, and great acting, but the clichés border on ridiculous, and it gets kinda corny. I don't know if all of Kevin Smith's fans will like the movie, but I did. I do miss Jay and Silent Bob, though.
Scale of 1-10: 8