Zack and Miri's Porno Made Me Laugh

Thursday, 06 November 2008

Zack and Miri's Porno Made Me Laugh
The sex comedy is an art form which doesn't really get the importance it deserves. The Los Angeles Times had an article about comedies continuously getting snubbed by the Oscars. The article says that the reason why comedies don't get Oscar attention because comedy looks effortless and drama always looks like it puts a strain on its actors. The irony is that comedy is even harder because sad things make people cry but what brings laughter about is more ambiguous.
This brings me to Zack and Miri Make a Porno. This movie is at heart a very sweet love story about how Zack and Miri, who have been platonic friends for about 20 years, finally realize their true feelings for each other. The very likable Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks play the "I get jealous when I see you with other people" almost innately as if Zack and Miri knew deep down they'd end up together. The jealousy happens and no one notices and then it mounts and builds until it explodes. It's absolutely beautiful.
Zack and Miri, however, is also a sex comedy in its truest form. It is a comedy about sex. The ridiculousness of it, the romance of it, the pornographic part of it--all of these themes are explored in this comedy. It doesn't condemn pornography nor does it condone it. It's just a well-made comedy about sex and all that goes with it. When Zack and Miri finally shoot their, er, scene, it i s deemed unusable because there's too much love. Even Zack states that they didn't have sex, they made love.
I couldn't help but wonder: has anyone experienced a platonic-turned-romantic relationship like Zack and Miri? Also, what are your thoughts on the differences between sex and making love?