Chasing Amy is the third, and arguably weakest, of Kevin Smith's series of 'Askewniverse' movies, and is quite a departure from his first two offerings, Clerks & Mallrats. The trademark snappy wit and dialogue is still there, as are the buddy in-joking and the obligatory appearance of Jay & Silent Bob, but the more serious subject matter makes this a more personal film for Smith. When Holden (Affleck) falls for lesbian Alyssa (Adams), his relationship, both with her and with his best friend Banky (Lee) change irrevocably. Falling somewhere in between drama and comedy, but never quite reaching either, the story is a good one, but you can't help but feel it would've received better treatment in the hands of a more accomplished film-maker, perhaps someone who doesn't just cast his friends in the lead roles, although the three leads all deliver satisfactory performances. The dialogue often feels a little forced and produces some uncomfortable scenes, and as a result, when things go belly up for the characters, it's hard to feel any sympathy for anyone but Banky. There are some truly funny moments, usually courtesy of Jason Lee and this is an enjoyable enough movie, but the story kind of just fizzles out and may leave you feeling a little jipped.
Review of Chasing Amy
