Customer Reviews

Now You Know

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

If you like indie comedies, this is totally up your alley. Great, off-the-wall characters and killer performances. I laughed out loud a lot, but the heart the movie has is what surprised me (and not in a bad way.) The kind of movie I wish I could find more often.

I had the pleasure of seeing this film at Kevin Smith's Vulgarthon years ago when they debited JSBSB and have been waiting for it to be released. Jeff Anderson steps away from his Randal role and shows another side, writing and staring in this movie. It is not Clerks, but fans of the genre shouldn't be disappointed. Essentially a comedic love story that can be appreciated by everyone. Too bad it was never released in theaters.

We all know and love Randal Graves (Jeff Anderson) from the Clerks movies. I saw this movie a couple of years ago at Vulgarthon, which is basically a Kevin Smith film festival. In fact, I can see myself in the crowd during the Q&A on this dvd which is pretty neat! :-)

I will be honest and say that I did not have high hopes for this movie. I did not expect it to be bad, but I was certainly pleasantly surprised at how good it was and as one person stated during the Q&A, I now think of Jeff Anderson as Jeff Anderson, not as Randal. He has definitely come into his own and should be recognized for having talents all his own and beyond his quick-talking role in Kevin Smith's movies.

Now You Know is about a couple who are engaged and on the eve of their wedding the bride-to-be (Rashida Jones) calls off the wedding with (seemingly) no explanation, leaving the groom (Jeremy Sisto) confused and at a loss as to what he should do next.

One of the high points of the film is definitely the casting. For the most part the cast is impeccable and the acting is great. Jeremy Sisto is quickly becoming one of my favorite actors consistently surprising me in the unique and independant films he chooses to be in. His performance here is no exception, he is excellent as the sweet and baffled Jeremy. One hilarious fun fact is that according to Jeff Anderson his first choice for the role of Jeremy was Joey Lawrence! He said that Lawrence auditioned and was absolutely perfect but he couldn't bring himself to cast him simply because "come on, it's Joey Lawrence." Anyhow, Sisto fills the part just fine, although it would have been interesting to see Lawrence in the part as well.

I was happy to see Jones in the role of Kerri--the only other thing I have seen her in is one episode of the much beloved show Freaks and Geeks. She does just fine as the dissatisfied and confused Kerri.

In supporting roles we have Anderson as Gil, one of Jeremy's old friends, who does great as always. We also have a wonderful performance by Heather Paige Kent whom I used to watch in an underrated and short-lived tv show called That's Life. She turns in a remarkable performance here as the supportive friend of Kerri with a big problem of her own. I hope to see her in more movies in the future. In my opinion the only weak point in the casting is Trevor Fehrman as Bisquit, Jeremy and Gil's buddy. His performance is forgettable, poor and he brings almost none of himself to the part. Most of his rants are pretty typical of rants in almost every Kevin Smith movie and it's pretty obvious that these are some of the same, his inflection is even the same as so many other secondary characters in Clerks and it was actually a little distracting and it's also part of the reason I gave the movie three stars instead of four.

Another reason for the three-star rating is due to the fact that the movie suffers from a little predictability (not too bad though) and some dialogue in certain scenes that is too run-of-the-mill or typical. I also feel that certain parts of the movie are a bit too reminiscent of Clerks, which is not entirely a bad thing but it would have been nice to see Anderson break away from that and come up with something completely separate from his work with Smith.

All in all Anderson really put himself out there and we can see a lot of his personal story in Now You Know. This is a great first-time effort and I think we will see something even better with his next film Marry Me To Death. He stated that he wanted to make a movie that appealed to both men and women and this movie has crude humor and a somewhat Bachelor Party-esque feel to it and also has a softer side with some romantic elements which will appeal to the ladies (not me so much because romance in movies makes me sick, haha). Anyway, he most certainly accomplishes this goal with Now You Know. I recommend checking this flick out, it is well worth the time.

Having never seen Jeff Anderson in a film away from the Clerks franchise, I was very curious to see how he did writing, directing AND having a major starring role in a film. To be honest, he shocked the hell out of me with how well he did. With a low budget, an inexperienced director, and a limited shooting time, Jeff Anderson made the best of the situation he had. The film lacked the smoothness of progression that some experienced directors get, but it definitely had a lot of humorous moments and that was coupled with a genuinely heart felt story. This is a movie I'll enjoy watching again.

In the View Askewniverse, you start to wonder if any of the actors in Kevin Smith's movies manage to break out from the characters they are associated with (with the exception, of course of Jason Lee and Ben Affleck). Will any of the Jersey locals who act in these films have a bankable career? Jay Mewes has started to shed his "Jay" character, but he's going to have to do something better than "Bottoms Up." I'd love to see Brian O'Halloran do something big as well Marilyn Ghigliotti.

Jeff Anderson, however, turns in a surprise with not only another acting gig, but a writing AND directoral one as well. And it's really good for a first-time outing from a guy who you feel got "railroaded" into the acting world with "Clerks." I almost hate to compare this to a Kevin Smith flick, but Anderson manages to turn out a romantic comedy on par with "Chasing Amy" but without the world of monologues that Kevin Smith characters seem to inhabit. Don't get me wrong, Kevin does brilliant dialogue, but I can imagine for some viewers, they get lost with all the talking, the witticisms, and the inside jokes. So flame me that I dare blaspheme and say that Anderson churned out something on par with (or maybe slightly better than) "Chasing Amy."

Do I need to review the movie? Read the other reviews if you need a synopsis.

Jeff Anderson has been known to say that he doesn't consider himself an actor - at least he didn't both before and after Clerks (1994). I have said and still say he was at the time of Clerks a diamond in the somewhat slightly rough - someone I have looked forward to doing more both in front of and behind the camera. And he's really had a great mentor of sorts in Kevin Smith. Now You Know could fit into the style of a Kevin Smith movie - sure it's indie - and it has some sick jokes (who doesn't love them), but it really has a mark that must only be from Jeff Anderson. He really writes well for both his male and female characters. They are enjoyable to watch and are worthy of our attention. It's in his subtleties that he really shines, the words and actions not expressed outwardly, but understood by the audience. All characters are well rounded, and even though the three fellas, Jeremy, Biscuit and Gil have some twisted logic among them, they all have redeeming qualities that make you love them all the more. Jeremy learns, if not too late, what it is that he wants and how to go about getting it, Gil steps up to the plate with great care and intensity, and Biscuit finds a great use for a bowling ball and some extra chains.

Jeff Anderson also offers a brilliant performance in the latest installment of the Jersey "trilogy" (Clerks II), how many is it now: Clerks, Mallrats, Chasing Amy (the original trilogy), Dogma (it heads to Jersey), Jay & Silent Bob (it starts in Jersey, Jersey Girl, Clerks II ... I count 7 ! Returning as Randal Graves, he's sharpened his sarcastic and crude wit to a fine point, but this time we see so much more from Randal - in his conversations with Elias, a 19 year old employee at Mooby's and soon to be the latest partner in crime of 32 year old Randal, we see a brotherly relationship, one of noogies, spit balls, and hysterical wordplay. Pay close attention to his scene with Elias and the Pillow Pants reference, when Randal calls Elias his new best friend - there is a sincerity and sadness that Anderson really taps into and expresses with an understated beauty. Also his final scenes with Dante (from the donkey lovin' onward) really rip out my heart.

But I digress, back to Now You Know ... I must say I am waiting with great anticipation for the next outing from Mr. Anderson - what can I say, I LOVE my Jersey Boys ...

As one of the people in the Q & A segment said, "I finally see Jeff Anderson & not Randall". I'm very happy for him in his whirlwind roles of writer, director, & actor. That's quite a bit of multi-tasking for a "Jersey slacker". The movie itself was well-shot, heartfelt, & flowed nicely. Not a bad character in the film. I particularly enjoyed the scenes between "Jeremy" & "Gil", as well as any scene with "Marty", played wonderfully by Heather Paige Kent. Very real characters through & through & this had a Kevin Smith feel to it, but was quite different. I felt the characters were much more "human" than say... Jay & Silent Bob. (Not that I don't enjoy them too.)
I could have done without the chihuahua scene altogether, but they couldn't have picked a better dog breed for the part. I suppose it got the point across that "Biscuit" is a moron in a way that's never really been done before.
Congrats, Jeff Anderson. You've made an overall wonderful film that I know I'll watch again & again.

This is one of those films you watch once and never again or at least not for awhile. The movie kind of drags on and you'll say, "Get to the point, already!"

This film is funny, but not over-the-top, so don't expect it to be anything Kevin Smith-like.

It's amazing how Anderson was able to write from a man's point of view as well as a womans. The DVD bonus features has a Q&A with the director and someone asked Anderson how he was able to do that. (I believe he said he watches a lot of Oprah.)


For a first time writer/director,Jeff Anderson did an okay job.

Very well written and cast! Great chemistry between all the actors and awsome dialog! Plot is good and transitions between subplots and storylines are grade A, absolutely terrific!

Scene in the bar w/ the alcoholic chick was one of the funniest scenes I've seen in a long time! Not to mention the entire B&E plot...kinda makes me want to go break into some houses and do the same thing!

Only thing wrong with this film is all technical things. Blocking, sound, not enough footage to edit properly, camera focus, etc. However, considering that this IS an indie budget film w/ limited funds and time, all the technical things are forgivable and will be overlooked.

This film is excellent! A MUST OWN!

I guess if your idea of funny is a drunken loser mowing over a dog then this is a Five Star Gem. I almost never quit a movie...but hey this one did that for me. Now my high hopes for Red State are tempered.