CLERKS (1994 - Cert 18)

Have you ever been completely convinced that you've seen a film, sit down to re-watch it years later only to discover that you've never seen it before? Well this is exactly what happened to me with Clerks recently. I've gone through life thinking I've seen the film, all be it a very long time ago, and every time it has come up in conversation, every time I've read an article or a book that refers to it, I nod in acknowledgement. So as I flicked through the movie channels and came across it, I was flicked it on thinking to myself, 'it's about time I watched this again'.

Then it started, and it became clear that either my memory had completely gone or I had never watched the film in my entire life. It explained a lot actually. When I cast my mind back I realised that when people talked about their favourite moments in the movie, I tended to not be entirely sure what they were on about. Plus, I always had a complete indifference to the film, which one would obviously had if they hadn't actually seen it.



So now that I have finally got around to watching it, what did I think?

Well I loved it. It's clear to see why it became, and remains, a cult classic. It's original, there's nothing I've seen quite like it, in terms of set up, but also due to it's desert dry and pessimistic wit. Kevin Smith's script is a thing of genius. Nothing really happens in the film, it's just a day in the life of two store clerks in their early twenties, Brian O'Halloran (Dante) and Jeff Anderson (Randall). That's it. For a film with that little in terms of plot, the script has to be so tight and engaging to ensure that you keep the viewer on board. In fact, the only times that the film doesn't work are when the action is taken out of the store, such as the funeral scene. It's a shame because while the film stays grounded to the dull daily life, rather than extravagant plot points, it sucks you in and keeps you hooked.

So why is it so good? Well the dialogue for starters. It must be said that I don't honestly believe that many young men in New Jersey really talk like this, it suffers from what I call Dawsons Creek syndrome, but the patter between the characters is totally funny. Sardonic put downs and philosophical musings are all brilliant. The one that most people refer to is the debate about contract workers aboard the uncompleted Death Star. It's brilliantly deadpan and much of the film follows this tone and humour. Smith introduces other bit-part characters, such as the now famous in their own right Jay and Silent Bob, that bounce of the two 'heroes' and become foils for their patter. It's done tremendously with some wonderfully realised characters that all fit perfectly into the small insular world that Smith has created.

The other important thing about the film is the attitude that it summarises. The two lead characters are at a point in their lives when they should be thinking about growing up and what direction their life should take. However, both Dante and Randall struggle to know exactly what to do to kick on. Their are feelings of frustration, hopelessness, insecurity, self-doubt and fear that hold them back. I'm not saying that I went through a period in my life quite in the same way, but I'm sure we've all worried in the past about what we are going to do with our lives and what we might leave behind. It's a real triumph that Smith has managed to address this so poignantly and maturely in a film that on the surface seems to be merely a foul mouthed comedy.

It isn't going to be for everyone, it is very, very raw (what do you expect for $27,500?), a lot of the humour is geared towards a male audience and there are some moments where a ball is dropped, but this shouldn't stop anyone from seeing a film that is a snapshot of a time in recent American history and an insight, all be it a pessimistic one, into a stage in our lives that we must all experience.