Whenever someone criticises Kevin Smith’s direction in his movies, or lack there of it, Smith usually comes back with the defence that he is a way better writer than he is director. Or that he is a filmmaker and not a “director” per say, in so much that yes he tells stories on film but the depth is in the dialogue and tone rather than anything he does with movement or direction. And in the sincerest and nicest possibly way, I’ve always agreed with that.

Putting aside all the F***, C*** and S***’s., the bottom of the barrel and vulgar foul language in almost every scene of his films, when he is at his best there is a real story bubbling away at the core. For many, it fully came to the surface with his 1997 movie CHASING AMY and now with his latest movie ZACK AND MIRI MAKE PORNO, he has returned to the friendship vs. sexual politics theme and his solid writing and characterisation really makes it work again.

Maybe it’s something to do with the economically scary state the world is in right now but you just simply can’t help but relate to the down on their luck and broke long time friends and roommates Zack (Seth Rogen) and Miri (Elizabeth Banks), who after the water in their rented home is turned off and the ever growing pile of unpaid bills looms over them, get the crazy and audacious idea to film themselves having sex together to make a quick buck by selling the video to anyone who would want to see it.

Which is according to Zack many people because “everyone wants to see everyone fucking”, and ya know, maybe he’s right, especially after Miri herself becomes famous online after two teens snapped an image of her in “granny panties” underwear which became a mega hit on Youtube.

The underlying problem for Zack & Miri is not exactly the embarrassment of everyone in the world seeing them going at it, though that’s obviously part of it, but the big elephant in their plan is the fact they are life long friends and room mates. Sex undoubtedly complicates things and they think of each other more like brother or sister than lovers and real friends are so much harder to find than a steady job, is it worth sacrificing that to try and get themselves out of debt?

But they have little options, it’s a risk they have to take. Zack and Miri round up the usual set of Kevin Smith style characters, this time in the form of a very amateur filmmaker who shoots sports games (Jeff Anderson, who is still used to vent Smith’s pop culture opinions, this time Lost gets the treatment) and the fearless Jason Mewes (playing a variation of Jay, a sex obsessed and creepier version may I add) and real-life porn stars Traci Lords and Katie Morgan who provide the skin but are probably given more dialogue than they have had in their whole careers.

The real laughs from the supporting players come from the porno’s producer played by Craig Robinson, doing his usual gig from The Office and adding to his exposure from KNOCKED UP and THE PINEAPPLE EXPRESS and proving himself as one of the funniest dude’s on screen right now and an early exchange between the outlandishly gay porn actor played by Justin Long and his partner, a handsome but shy about his sexuality Brandon Routh.

So lots of sex happens. All of it quite explicit and actually caused a view couples to uncomfortably shuffle out of the theatre (though I don’t know quite what they expected to see given the title) but the real highlight of the film is watching the tension grow as the showdown to Zack and Miri having sex approaches. That’s when Smith really shines and we see these two as fully rounded characters and you just can’t help but warm to them.

Rogen, in a role written especially and exclusively for him (Smith has said he wouldn’t have made the movie if he turned him down) doesn’t quite sound as comfortable as he does speaking Judd Apatow’s or indeed his own dialogue but he’s also the big lovable, charming loon and again, you can buy into him winning the affection of someone as beautiful as Elizabeth Banks, just like you could with Katherine Heigl last year.

And speaking of Banks, is their an actress out there today who has a nicer smile? Boy does she light up that screen and make you damn just fall in love with her and I’m convinced she could literally have chemistry with a pencil. I saw this movie two nights after seeing her in W. and her two performances are so completely on different scales but one just as good as the other.

Kevin Smith will never win any Oscars, (though I would love to see him take a shot at a different genre and will fully support him doing so if as it appears, that is his next career move) but I know when I pay to see one of his films that I’m guaranteed to have a sickly sentimental, laugh my ass off funny, creepier than that old pervert down the street who buys porn disturbing, but altogether enjoyable and worthwhile time.

And outside of Judd Apatow, we don’t really have anyone else making the kind of comedies that ruled the movie scene in the 80’s when the likes of Bill Murray, Steve Martin and Dan Ackroyd were big business. We should be thankful for these guys.