Chasing Amy (1997)

 "Since you like chicks, right, do you just look at yourself naked in the mirror all the time?"

Time for another View Askewniverse film in my meandering marathon... and this one is not only bloody good, but beneathe the humour it explores some rather serious themes. Don't get me wrong, I like good films of any genre, but I tend not to seek out many romantic comedies because, well, I'm a bloke. Sometimes, I feel, even the good ones can have a very superficial, greetings card view of love and relatiobships. Yes, Richard Curtis, I'm looking at you.

This film is not like that. This is real.

I've seen this film before, at uni, but that was, ahem, a couple of years ago. I've lived a lot and loved a lot since then. And, well, 1997 was a long time ago. At least, I hope fewer men today are as much of a dick as Holden.

It's interesting looking back into an age when acceptance of LGBT issues (although the T wasn't thought about much back then) was evolving. The twentysomething characters here don't approve of bigotry, the word "homophobia" exists, although quite new, and, as illustrated by Banky, we have that by now dated trope that men who are bigoted about gay men are in denial about their own sexuality.

But the crux of it all is the sexual politics between women and men. Because Alyssa is completely wonderful- witty, funny, kind, fun and basically an amazing person. Holden is very lucky that she loves him.And she does. She gives up her friendships to be with him. She gives him everything.

He doesn't deserve her. He goes all wobbly because... she dares to have a sexual past while being female. Yep, double standards again. And very immature attitudes to threesomes, ployamory and sex in general, skewered brilliantly by Kevin Smith. He destroys both his relationship with the love of his life and his relationship with his best friend. His heart is broken. Good. Serves him right. But breaking Alyssa's heart is unforgiveable. We get an ambiguous ending... Holden doesn't deserve a happy one.

This film is mature, devastating, superbly acted and written, and has some very nice directorial touches. There's also some bloody good humour, as we'd expect, and a great character in Hooper. Silent Bob, of course, steals the show.

This is, overall, a far more serious film than its two predecessors. It will break your heart. But it's very, very good indeed.