Chasing Amy

Kevin Smith threw away the traditional methods of romantic comedies and built his own distinctive version of love on the skeleton of sexual differences and sins of youth. Apart from a certain amount of "cultivated vulgarity," the film is also witty and insightful, but at the same time so straightforwardly true that most mature (?) viewers will bite their lips while watching it. The cast seems oblivious to the camera and they just spew out gut-wrenching dialogue worthy of a genius that all disappointed lovers should write in their diaries. If you’re not searching for your own Amy, you can safely avoid this. (23/07/2006)

Ugh, I can’t believe how many years it’s been since I first saw this film... By now, it has become an oldie and you can really tell. Watching it again today, I felt an urge to remove one star from my original rating, but I eventually decided to keep it because Ben Affleck played dumb Holden as convincingly as if not even acting. The second reason was the conversation that introduced Holden to the secrets of lesbian sex. (22/10/2020)

I am unusually bothered by the film’s television feeling and the poor budget. Part of it is definitely intentional (it corresponds to the concept of the film), but Kevin Smith is generally known for making a lot with little – perhaps for a certain group of fans that I don't belong to. The plot is average with standard twists. What is worth paying attention to are the performances of the actors in most situations and the dynamic and well-crafted dialogues. On the other hand, the final, considerably absurd resolution, or rather Affleck's character after a lobotomy, and the excessively long running time, significantly spoiled my experience. (16/01/2009)

A brilliantly layered comedy and romance, with Ben Affleck's captivating performance and Silent Bob's perfectly fitting monologue. However, what about the crucial scene towards the end, when Holden makes a crazy proposal? I couldn't digest this shortcut, and without it, Amy could have become one of the best romantic comedies I know. It's full of magical moments (Alyssa singing on stage and Affleck beginning to have a silly smile on his face, until Jason Lee comes and gives him a piercing look), but the more I think about the ending, the more it frustrates me. (10/08/2006)

Kevin Smith is simply talking about comic fans, relationships and lesbians. Here and there, there’s Jay and Silent Bob who are not striking back yet, but at the other hand, they’ve always got some life advice up in their sleeve. It’s weaker than Clerks, but it’s a classic Smith movie otherwise. (16/07/2015)