Chasing Amy

I am not, to put it kindly, director Kevin Smith's biggest fan--both Clerks and Mallrats struck me as independent cinema's nadir--so I was surprised by how affected I was by his third feature. The story of a man (Ben Affleck) in love with a lesbian (Joey Lauren Adams), Chasing Amy isn't entirely successful--Smith still has a lot to learn about using a movie camera, and his maturity level, while improving, still leaves something to be desired--but it's unquestionably a substantial leap forwards. For the first time, he actually appears to give a damn about his characters and their predicaments, and to have spent some time thinking about how their various desires and obsessions and needs and neuroses affect their relationships. For example, male sexual jealousy plays a significant role in both Clerks and Chasing Amy, but whereas in Clerks Smith merely mined the topic for crass jokes, here he actually appears to be critical of his protagonist's behavior (while still mining it for crass jokes). If Smith's progress continues, his next movie might be something to see. A strong optional purchase. (M. D'Angelo)