20 Dates

20 Dates

“Twenty Dates” is the story of Myles Berkowitz’s quest to fall in love and film a movie about it. These are his “two biggest failures personal and professional,” so he decides to make a film about 20 dates. The last part of the movie sees him win the affections of charming Elisabeth, perhaps, but still he has no success professionally.

It is film with the tone of an irritating boring home video that was shot too close to your ear. We find out how Elie Samaha gave him $60,000 in investment so that he could hire an operator and recordist for his date outings. Elie never makes an appearance in front of camera but talks through what appears like (allegedly) a hidden tape recorder threatening Berkowitz on this footage, seeking sex, stars oh, as well as having Tia Carrere in a scene.

Elie was right though because you cannot even see where the $60,000 went; yet it’s still considered low budget. I’ve seen films made for half that amount and they were more impressive than this one. However, this trust is broken by Berkowitz quickly into the film and never regained. How much of it is real or isn’t real I do not know. There are few scenes that appear to be staged while some feel like it.

Even though certainly each time Berkowitz presents himself in positive way there wasn’t one moment when any of his comments seemed interesting or charming to me or anybody else out there whom he actually dated. He is shocked when some woman finally realizes she has been photographed secretly and when another girl reveals wound on her hand requiring twenty stitches (unseen). The best dialogue reads: “I could have sworn that Karen and I had fallen in love with one another only to discover that we couldn’t get closer than ninety feet apart that was what our restraining order said.”

One person who goes with this guy out is Stephanie, a wardrobe mistress in Hollywood. From her he asks for free costumes for his movie (and if it is a documentary why does he need costumes?). She goes to the restroom, “and I never saw her again.’’ He runs to Robert McKay, a writing teacher, who gives him theories about screen romance that are completely irrelevant to what should be an honest to God doc.

What of Elie? Isn’t he tasteless and vulgar (though not more than many other Hollywood producers)? But during his last conversation, we see the exterior of the county jail? Is that where he is? For what reason? In fact Tia Carrere would make an appearance who refers to him as “a very good friend” perhaps she will change her number.

There’s another film on video called “Me & My Matchmaker,” which was made in 1996. The dialogue and overall story line is much better as well as professionally constructed and managed. This wonderfully shows us how inept and irritating “20 Dates” can actually be.

Watch 20 Dates For Free On Gomovies.