Greetings again from the darkness. "Light-hearted, Feel good Documentary"??? Seems like a contradiction as most docs are presented in a stark, often bleak manner. Filmmaker, film geek, seemingly nice goofy guy, Brian Herzlinger chronicles the 30 (plus) days of his quest to get a date with his dream girl, Drew Barrymore. Yes, his crush began upon first viewing of "E.T" when he was six and carried through to her fan club, all her movies and TV appearances and into adulthood (chronologically speaking) with a borderline stalker approach.
The one thing documentaries must battle is a dragging storyline. "My Date" starts very good, drags in the middle and ends VERY strongly. Brian's mood makes or breaks the scenes. When his childlike enthusiasm is present, this film is a pleasure to watch ... even fascinating at times. When Brian appears to be playing to the camera in what must be scripted moments, the film dries up and really drags. For the most part, his (and his buddies) exuberance for the project is beyond question. The practice date with the Drew lookalike is a great idea that kinda fell flat, but the scenes with his parents more than offset the lulls.
The whole Circuit City video camera scheme is genius and the corresponding photo montage is classic. I also very much enjoyed the premiere footage and audio, but nothing compares to the last 10 minutes where charm, energy and spirit are truly on display.
Although I am not a "Grease 2" fan, I will recommend this film to my friends as it is an hour and a half well spent.
The one thing documentaries must battle is a dragging storyline. "My Date" starts very good, drags in the middle and ends VERY strongly. Brian's mood makes or breaks the scenes. When his childlike enthusiasm is present, this film is a pleasure to watch ... even fascinating at times. When Brian appears to be playing to the camera in what must be scripted moments, the film dries up and really drags. For the most part, his (and his buddies) exuberance for the project is beyond question. The practice date with the Drew lookalike is a great idea that kinda fell flat, but the scenes with his parents more than offset the lulls.
The whole Circuit City video camera scheme is genius and the corresponding photo montage is classic. I also very much enjoyed the premiere footage and audio, but nothing compares to the last 10 minutes where charm, energy and spirit are truly on display.
Although I am not a "Grease 2" fan, I will recommend this film to my friends as it is an hour and a half well spent.