Mallrats
When a director comes out with an incredible film and he is lauded with praise, especially an independent one, then their second effort has to be equally or better. Most often, this isn’t the case and many brimming with excitement because they adored the first one find that the second is like a lead weight in their heart. Deceived, they foolishly sniff at the director for betraying them in such a away. This can be said for Mallrats, the second movie to be filmed in the View Askewniverse cinema world of Kevin Smith. Following the well-received breakout movie Clerks (now considered a great cult classic,) Mallrats was met with bad reviews.
But luckily, if you watch them out of sequence like I did, you will love Mallrats just as much as Clerks, even if it is a bit off the golden Smith path.
Mallrats is stars Jason Lee and Shannen Doherty. It follows the events prior to Clerks and students T.S Quint and his best friend Brodie Bruce. T.S is planning on proposing to his girlfriend, Brandi and then whisk her off to Universal studios. However, the plan goes awry when Brandi breaks up with him. To cheer him up, Brodie takes T.S to the mall in hopes to meet Stan Lee at a comic book signing. Here the hijinks ensue.
Mallrats has gotten a lot of criticism. Don’t get me wrong, some of it is justified. Mallrats is one of those movies that lose interest if you have no investment in the characters. There is hardly any of that either. It’s a lot of hard work for people who don’t really “get it.” Yes, that phrase is annoying but there is no denying that Mallrats has polarised people. And those who see the sparkle to it, are tired of the film getting a lot of flak for being dull and uneventful.
The reason Mallrats is so appealing is because it wholly represents a slacker generation who just goof off in the mall. It’s uneventful. But that is what makes it so genuinely genius. The movie bounces off seemingly meaningless events with some wickedly sharp banter. And in a completely hilarious ways, Mallrats makes some impeccable jokes, sizzling quotes and on point references. There are moments of that will make you squirm with toilet humour but it is classic Smith humour, especially with a larger part of Jason Mews as Jay.
Upon my first watch of Mallrats, I quipped; “It’s genius, a movie about people talking about nothing. That’s what people do, I love it.” And that is why it was perceived so badly. But at the end of the day, it mirrored something in me and I guess in all the people who have bumped this up to “cult classic” grade. Sometimes, conversations and events a stupid or convoluted but it is just another day. If it takes another few years for it to sink in; for the performances and comedy timing to cause more praise than a roll of the eyes, then so be it. But I believe that Mallrats was brilliant and funny.
Just like another day at the mall.