Wednesday, March 26, 2014

10 Attitudes (U.S. 2001)




The Gist:
Josh finds out his boyfriend has been cheating on him, and subsequently ends the relationship, or is dumped. It’s not exactly clear which is supposed to have happened, since one is shown but the other is said in dialogue. Regardless, not taking his newly single status as a 30-something “regular guy” very well, he threatens to leave California and go back home to Ohio.  A friend makes a bet that he can find Josh a new boyfriend within 10 dates and that if this doesn't work, he can give up and head back home. Ten dates, the ten attitudes of the title, ensue. 

Comments with mostly obvious spoilers:
Being very kind, the movie hovers at the edge of bad and just barely okay.

There are several problems here. It feels as if the dates (at least the dates that were not dialogue free montages) were just exercises in improvisation, with the sole rule being that the date has to quickly go bad. I haven't bothered researching to see if this is true, but it is an issue, because if this is the case, several of the actors aren't very good at improv, and if they weren't improvising and had actual written dialogue, then there was a major problem with writing and acting skills. 

It is also at just under 90 minutes, far too long. Much of this length is taken up by an overabundance of montages. Besides dating montages, there are location establishing montages, as well as ones to show that this is a topical "current" movie by showing people doing topical "current" things like talking into their flip cell phones while standing in line for coffee. Besides adding unneeded time, it makes the movie feel badly dated. 

I get that it is supposed to be an amusing critique of the Los Angeles / West Hollywood dating scene, but it never reaches the point of being funny, a fatal flaw for a comedy. Instead of humor it just rambles along aimlessly, showing dates both good and bad (never bothering to explain why the good dates don't lead to anything more), before finally coming to the slightly unexpected ending.

Okay, never mind the idea of it being just barely okay. It’s just bad.

Women:
A few, including Judy Tenuta as a wacky (and largely incompetent) therapist.

People of color:
One of the dates and a couple of minor characters. 

Gratuitous nudity: 
Nope


  • Director: Michael Gallant
  • Writer: Michael Gallant
  • Actor: Jason Stuart
  • 87 min
  • IMDB

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