JoBlo
02-24-2002, 03:10 AM
20 DATES (1998)
Director: Myles Berkowitz
Starring: Myles Berkowitz
This was supposed to be a real-life documentary shot by some single out-of-work actor in L.A. who thought it would be a good idea to try and find the love of his life, by going on 20 dates with different ladies and taping it as a movie. Great concept, right?
Unfortunately, the guy who stars in the movie (also the director), is one of the most annoying human beings that you'd ever want to meet, and for fuck's sakes, I certainly don't consider myself an expert on dating, but does he have to mention that he has "constipation" or "diarhea" on every other date with a babe??? What's wrong with this moron??? (other than the fact that he can't dress for shit and wears his pants up to his elbows like a geezer on Miami Beach)
Thankfully, most of the movie is interesting to watch (in a car wreck type of way) because it should make the viewer feel much better about their own prowess in the game of love (Note to self: don't be arrogant or pompous on your first dates...duh!!).
Ugh.
Also, I have to admit...I dig on the whole "voyeuristic" thang, so going on some blind dates with the dude and a hidden camera was fun, from time to time.
But unfortunately, that's where the film's biggest mistake also came into play. About halfway through this "real-life" documentary, things started to feel more scripted, more rehearsed...like some of the chicks weren't "real" girls going on dates with this loser, but actresses, googly-eyeing for the camera.
What confirmed this phoniness was Myles' (the moron making the movie) so-called secretly taped conversations with the man who apparently gave him $60,000 to make the movie, producer Elie Samaha. All Elie wants in the movie is "tits and ass" and the only English words which he apparently knows, are fuck, fuck, fuck and fucking.
At first, it was a little funny but after the 10th "secretly" taped convo...it was just too fake to stomach.
Elie also goes on and on about how Myles should fit actress Tia Carrera into the picture, so that they could have a "name" actress to sell the movie, but if you do a little more research, you'd know that Tia, is in fact, Elie's wife in real life (or at least, she was at the time).
Ugh. Haha. Very funny...you fooled me into thinking that this was a real documentary but some of it is phony and scripted....hmmmm, so what am I supposed to feel here??
Well, in the end, the film felt like it was an interesting concept, a premise which had quite a bit of potential, and definitely had some engaging moments...but a failure because its lead character was a jerk and too many moments ended up being fake.
And from what I remember, a "documentary" is meant to be a portrayal of real events...not fakey-fakey stuff!
Director: Myles Berkowitz
Starring: Myles Berkowitz
This was supposed to be a real-life documentary shot by some single out-of-work actor in L.A. who thought it would be a good idea to try and find the love of his life, by going on 20 dates with different ladies and taping it as a movie. Great concept, right?
Unfortunately, the guy who stars in the movie (also the director), is one of the most annoying human beings that you'd ever want to meet, and for fuck's sakes, I certainly don't consider myself an expert on dating, but does he have to mention that he has "constipation" or "diarhea" on every other date with a babe??? What's wrong with this moron??? (other than the fact that he can't dress for shit and wears his pants up to his elbows like a geezer on Miami Beach)
Thankfully, most of the movie is interesting to watch (in a car wreck type of way) because it should make the viewer feel much better about their own prowess in the game of love (Note to self: don't be arrogant or pompous on your first dates...duh!!).
Ugh.
Also, I have to admit...I dig on the whole "voyeuristic" thang, so going on some blind dates with the dude and a hidden camera was fun, from time to time.
But unfortunately, that's where the film's biggest mistake also came into play. About halfway through this "real-life" documentary, things started to feel more scripted, more rehearsed...like some of the chicks weren't "real" girls going on dates with this loser, but actresses, googly-eyeing for the camera.
What confirmed this phoniness was Myles' (the moron making the movie) so-called secretly taped conversations with the man who apparently gave him $60,000 to make the movie, producer Elie Samaha. All Elie wants in the movie is "tits and ass" and the only English words which he apparently knows, are fuck, fuck, fuck and fucking.
At first, it was a little funny but after the 10th "secretly" taped convo...it was just too fake to stomach.
Elie also goes on and on about how Myles should fit actress Tia Carrera into the picture, so that they could have a "name" actress to sell the movie, but if you do a little more research, you'd know that Tia, is in fact, Elie's wife in real life (or at least, she was at the time).
Ugh. Haha. Very funny...you fooled me into thinking that this was a real documentary but some of it is phony and scripted....hmmmm, so what am I supposed to feel here??
Well, in the end, the film felt like it was an interesting concept, a premise which had quite a bit of potential, and definitely had some engaging moments...but a failure because its lead character was a jerk and too many moments ended up being fake.
And from what I remember, a "documentary" is meant to be a portrayal of real events...not fakey-fakey stuff!