Madness in the Method

As long as he is remembered at all, Jason Mewes will be known as Jay of Jay and Silent Bob. In that cycle of movies from Clerks through to Clerks 2 (and soon Jay and Silent Bob Reboot) , two things were clear, the guy was genuinely funny and not a professional actor. This wholly fictional movie kind of takes that and runs with it.

Mewes is desperate to break out as a serious actor and gets hold of a legendary book on method acting that will change his life. Yes, this entire movie hinges on a paperback book with a forgettable title. And that book literally drives Jason Mewes insane.

The shocking thing is that Mewes is a literal sociopath in this movie as he rather violently rampages through Hollywood trying to get a coveted role in a buzz filled drama being directed by his frequent costar Brian O' Halloran (of Clerks, Mallrats, etc.).

First off, in true Kevin Smith fashion, every name actor in this movie is a cameo, including, oddly Kevin Smith. I actually thought based on the advertising that this movie was going to be an interesting, fictionalized retelling of their long time friendship and working relationship. It's not. This is strictly a vehicle for Mewes and, as an actor, the guy actually shows surprising range and ability. But as a director he falls flat.

This movie is slapstick as hell sometimes but gets oddly dark in other places and Mewes cannot handle the tonal shifts at all. Honestly, by the end, I was more than ready for the thing to be over and a little surprised by how real the movie gets in some places, (Smith and Mewes get into a screaming match over the latter's well publicized struggles with addiction) followed by something really silly like Mewes going to murder a professional rival with a nail.

Along the way. one of the guys who wrote the movie keeps popping up as an annoying and unfunny idiot detective determined to bring Mewes down. Tough guy character actor Vinnie Jones (The Midnight Meat Train, Snatch) gets blamed for his crimes at one point, and the late Stan Lee wonders into one scene for a title drop moment.

I laughed a few times but the flick just isn't that good. I think with better writing and direction Jason Mewes actually could turn in a really solid performance but this isn't the movie that will break him through. Although he may get more work off it in the future.

You have to love Jason Mewes, The debut of Mewes as director is not perfect, (which isn't a bad thing), but is fun, something that we need nowadays, plus, this blend of fiction with some real life events are handled in a very professional way, the cameos are perfect, and watching Stan Lee was great... I really hope this is the beginning of a series of movies where you can see Mewes and friends acting and having fun... Some people may not like it, but I loved to watch it!

It felt like there was a lot of potential in this film. Jason Mewes plays up the whole famous for Clerks bit up. Even Vinne Jones is good in this film and that is a genuine compliment. It just felt very amatuer. I am not sure if that was intentional but if it was then it doesn't work. It really is just famous people playing themselves up and a plot that involves an unintentional murder and buying a comic book off Ebay. Its a good film to watch but it just felt like it could have been much better. Maybe you need to be a Clerks groupie to fully appreciate it.

I was going to buy this movie no matter the reviews as I am a fan of Mewes and think he is under appreciated. So much more fun when the plot of the movie is that he is under appreciated. This movie is not an Oscar candidate but it was really fun to watch. I dug it. I laughed.

If you are a fan of the Kevin Smith universe, you can expect to enjoy this film tremendously. A little shakey, but never uninteresting, there are 4 or 5 laugh out loud moments for Jay and Silent Bob fans and enough chuckles to make you feel like watching it again. I give this a 6 overall, but a solid 9 for View Askew folks!!! Congrats Jason Mewes, you made a real movie.