Really Surprised!

Powerful

Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

A story that's too fascinating to pass by...

This was the best slice of apple pie you could ask for. A glimpse into suburban america that stands the test of time. His solid dialogue is what makes this a classic and i hope Kevin will give us more gems. Kevin stay healthy and don't let Ming Chen, Bryan Johnson, or Walt Flanagan stress you out.

Clerks is a weird film. To make you understand while watching this film I got vibes from Jim Jarmusch, the Cohen brothers and also from Mike Leigh's masterpiece "Naked". But don't get me wrong this film is a comedy at least for the most part. But through it's excellent and at the same time awkward sense of humor "Clerks" is a really thought provoking film. While nothing really major happens in the film's plot I believe almost anyone can identify with the protagonist. Dante is a guy who works at a convenience store, a job which he hates, he works in his day off and he can't play hockey with his friends, he has a girlfriend who loves him but he is still thinking about a past relationship that he had in high school and generally hates his life but he doesn't make anything to change it. Through a series of events that takes part in a whole day he will discover himself and he will finally change (?). Kevin Smith is manipulating the audience really clever. Initially he makes you believe that you are watching a naive but funny comedy but near the end he gets you right in the feels giving you a film so human that you will want to change your way of life.Even though it has some bad performances and an amature directing (it was Smith's first film after all) Clerks hidden and underrated gem that you must check out for sure.

The 90's were a strange and unique time in American popular-culture. While mainstream, Hollywood-backed films seemed to become increasingly bogged down with trite stories and loud special effects, the world of indie-cinema was at its peak, and delivered a plethora of incredible works from incredible storytellers. It was the decade that gave us wild and imaginative minds like Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez, after all. And among the quality independent filmmakers to emerge from this ten year period was Kevin Smith, with his breakout hit "Clerks."It's almost pointless to delve into Smith's story or the film's production, because it's a tale that has become almost legendary. But in essence, it is the tale of a typical Jersey slacker who enjoyed reading comic-books and writing comedy skits, and was eventually inspired to make a movie about the things he knew in life. That film became "Clerks", an award winning indie-darling that struck a chord for audiences the world over with its frank and open analysis of the life of a typical, aimless 20- something working a dead-end job while spending his time discussing life, love and pop-culture. It was one of those rare films that seemed to capture a painfully realistic slice of true life while also managing to entertain and enthrall with sharp humor and clever dialog. And it paved the way for bigger, better things for almost all involved.Dante Hicks (Brian O'Halloran), a retail clerk at a New Jersey convenience store, is called into work on his day off. Condemned to spend the day behind the counter serving the clueless public despite his repeated cry of "I'm not even supposed to be here today!", Dante tries to make the best of it by shooting the breeze with his carefree best friend Randal (Jeff Anderson) and wasting time discussing movies. However, a series of events throughout the day threaten to shake Dante's world, including an argument regarding his girlfriend Veronica's (Marilyn Ghigliotti) sexual past, the re- emergence of an old High School flame (the late Lisa Spoonauer), and a peculiar old man who asks to use the store's bathroom. All the while, a pair of trouble-making stoners known as "Jay and Silent Bob" (Jason Mewes, director Smith) cause a ruckus outside...What made "Clerks" work so well back in the day and what makes it continue to work more than twenty years later is the razor-sharp and wickedly clever writing on the part of Smith, in addition to stellar performances from all of our leads. Produced on a micro-budget and filmed during the night using rented equipment on 16mm black-and- white film, "Clerks" is most certainly not particularly pretty to look at. It's dark, gritty and dirty. But that really doesn't matter because the characters are allowed to take center-stage and shine while delivering some of the most deliciously funny and surprisingly insightful dialog imaginable. It's a movie almost exclusively about what makes the characters tick, and their interpersonal relationships, while being punctuated by laugh-out-loud gags and strong observational humor. And anyone whose worked a job where they had to serve the public will tell you... this feels just like real-life. It's absolutely sublime in how it is structured and paced, and you could swear they just filmed real people on a real work day, save for the few crazier moments peppered in to progress the plot.The cast is electrifying, giving performances that feel grounded and true. O'Halloran is endlessly engaging as our sort-of "hero" Dante, although the film does cleverly make him something of a troubled figure, giving him added depth. He doesn't always do good things, but we can empathize with him and recognize his struggles. Anderson frequently steals the show as the clever but often infuriating Randall Graves. Randall is that guy we all know- nothing bothers him and his attitude is strictly "I don't give a crap." And yet, despite his callousness, there's still a human being underneath. Ghigliotti is charming and highly sympathetic as Dante's long- suffering but supportive girlfriend, and though her screen time is limited, she's always a welcome addition. Spoonauer's role is fascinating and unique, as she represents a sort-of idealized view of the past and future, and she does the role justice. And of course, Mewes and Smith, along with other minor characters played by friends and acquaintances of Smith, add a lot of cheeky fun. Though Jay and Silent Bob haven't been quite defined yet as characters.Unfortunately, the film is not without its fair share of issues. Much of the film feels dated in a way that does occasionally distract, especially when revisiting it after some time. It's hard to hear some of the references or see some of the settings without feeling a certain aesthetic distance. I also found that the low budget and rough-around-the-edges production is more noticeable with time, and can get in the way of some key scenes. Perhaps it's unfair, but living in a time where a $500 DSLR and a decent knowledge of lighting can produce high quality imagery that would fit right in on television... it's sometimes hard to watch older films that were so crippled by low budgets. Finally, despite Smith's keen ear for dialog... you can tell the film was written by a 20-something whose trying a bit too hard. Some of the exchanges come across as pretentious, and the inclusion of verbose, 5-dollar-words as "chapter titles" feels contrived.Still, that cannot diminish the fact that "Clerks" is an indisputable classic of its time that for the most part still rings true even to this day. The low-budget production values and occasional poor judgments in the writing can be a bit tedious, but the phenomenal performances, good humor and sharp dialog more than make up for these minor flaws. "Clerks" easily earns a fantastic 9 out of 10, and I still give it a very high recommendation for those who have not yet had a chance to check it out!

Rarely is a script so clearly the star of a movie, but "Clerks" is clearly a product of the unique mind behind it, Kevin Smith. This is a filmmaking debut with a clear idea of what it wants to say and how it wants to say it, namely in the form of casual conversation that ranges from profane to profound.The vessels by which these thoughts and ideas are delivered go by the names of Dante (Brian O'Halloran) and Randal (Jeff Anderson), 22-year-old New Jersey convenience and video store clerks, respectively, who are pals despite drastically different attitudes toward their "dead-end" jobs. The film predominantly follows Dante over the course of a day at the Quick Stop, a day that he was never supposed to work in the first place. In addition to persistent stop- ins from Randal, he is visited by/chats with his girlfriend, Veronica (Marilyn Ghigliotti), grapples with the news about of a couple other ex-girlfriends and deals with a host of unusual customers, not to mention the shady characters who hang out outside the store including Jay (Jason Mewes) and Silent Bob (Smith)."Clerks" plays out as "scenes at a convenience store" for the majority of its runtime to the point that it could've been a play and almost worked just as well. Film, however, feels more fitting; there's something about the context of this actual dinky convenience store location and the way Smith carefully selects his shot angles in each scene (shot in black and white) that brings everything together. The "theater" would betray the down-to-earth New Jersey reality of it all, even though so much of the film centers on dialogue.What Smith is able to convey in a series of conversations, most filmmakers have to construct elaborate scenes in order to communicate. He can take a conversation about blowjobs or something even more inane and turn it into something much bigger. That's a hell of a skill. The only pitfall is that none of the actors can reel in the cleverness and timing of Smith's words. In some scenes the acting sort of just dissipates leaving only dialogue – these poor actors have to make these quip-filled exchanges sound like natural banter between minimally educated middle-class slackers.Nevertheless, the script carries "Clerks" to the notoriety Smith has earned over the last couple decades. It's an entertaining tennis match of dialogue that's sharp, occasionally satirical and most importantly, taps into the core of what young people struggling to do something with their lives all feel. And he doesn't just go there with the conversations; he illustrates it in the various seemingly mundane dilemmas and conflicts Dante encounters through the course of his day.Maybe most significantly of all, Smith speaks for the outcast in "Clerks." He speaks for the guy living in his parents' basement, the guy working a convenience store job, the guy who spends his days loitering outside convenience stores or playing street hockey and other characters society frowns upon for not "doing anything with their lives." He points out that despite their disregard for societal protocols, they still have smart things to say and above all, like "the rest of us," still yearn for meaning in their lives.~Steven CThanks for reading! Visit Movie Muse Reviews for more