The very first of the Jersey series and also the first film for Kevin Smith (Dogma, Chasing Amy), "Clerks" is a pure character study with a few small story lines to complement them. This is my favorite Kevin Smith film, and one of my favorite movies of all time.

The story is really a non-story. Dante, played by Brian O'Halloran (Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back) is called into work at the local convenience store Quick Stop, because his boss can't make it in. His co-worker Randall, played by Jeff Anderson (Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back), works at the video store next door and is constantly hanging with Dante, instead of actually working his post. From this point on, Dante and Randall talk about life, girlfriends, death, Star Wars, and that is about it. Dante also finds out his current girlfriend likes to perform oral sex a lot, and his ex-girlfriend, who he is thinking about getting back together with, is engaged to an Asian Design Major from college.

Now, I know this does not sound very good, but trust me, it is. The writing by Smith is just amazing. It is very witty and does talk about personalities of men and women, intricacies of relationships. Albeit, they are 90's relationships. The humor is smartly written but very crude. In fact, I can not think of a movie I have ever seen as crude as this movie. So, if you have issues with language and sexual explicit definitions, do not see this movie. Otherwise, you will be so upset at the language, you won't be able to pay attention to the character development.

This being Kevin Smith's first movie and shot very fast, there are a few errors in the film. In the beginning, Dante's girlfriend Veronica, played by Marilyn Ghigliotti (A Packing Suburbia), talks about having class during the day and the afternoon. Later on, Randall tells Dante not to worry about closing the store because it's a Saturday. This is one of a few apparent mistakes made but do not take away from the movie. Also worth noting, since this is Kevin Smith's first film, the writer/director had a very small budget and had to cast his friends in the movie. Sometimes, it isn't noticeable, and sometimes it is. Since I am someone who acts in a friend's movie, I am all for it.

Please, if you have never seen this movie or any of the Kevin Smith films, I beg you to do so. Smith is a great director, and I feel he will someday take home an Oscar. Whether he accepts it or not, who knows, but he will deserve one soon. If you have seen "Clerks," be happy to know there is a sequel to this title coming soon, called "The Passion of the Clerks." I describe it that way, since each of Smith's successing four movies either talk about or include characters originated in "Clerks." I am already excited.

Brian - the Naked Gun