Tries too hard, Feb 8 2004

The premise is cute enough, and certainly no less plausible than most teen sex movies: After a romantic and erotic experience in an elevator during a blackout, a college student spends the rest of the year trying to track down that girl to reunite with her, somewhere in the 100 person all girls dormitory. Wacky hijinks ensue as the protagonist tries to figure out who the girl could be.

So far, so good. But the earnestness of the movie gets in the way. The protagonist himself is perhaps the most emasculated wimp ever recorded on videotape, prone to irritating (and wildly naive) speeches about male/female relationships that sound like the screenwriter didn't have anyone editing him -- or giving him a reality check.

He's contrasted with an over-the-top boorish roommate, who's supposed to be some sort of hyper-masculine stereotype, but who mostly comes off as someone in need of serious therapy. His opinions come off as someone trying to recreate the beliefs of someone like radio personality Tom Leykis without actually having listened to someone like that, much less having extracted the points with actual relevance. Instead, he just reinforces the Alpha Wimp's saccharine platitudes. The fact that neither of them turns in a particularly good acting performance further hinders matters.

The female characters (and actresses) almost salvage the film, and not just token "big name" Jamie Pressly. They gamely put forth a real effort to make a leaden script work, and pretend the wildly implausible situations aren't. But ultimately, they fail to elevate this above two stars (if they turned in a comparable job to the male leads, it would have been a single star film).

A renter at best, and only if you've thoroughly exhausted every other teen movie possibility.

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There is Almost a Good Movie Here, Sep 25 2003

By	David A. Dein "passafist" (The Garden State) - See all my reviews

That's not to say 100 GIRLS doesn't have merit. I think its heart is in the right place. It is attempting to take the old romantic comedy genre and turn it on its head. I'll bet there is even a better and yet unfilmable first draft of this film's screenplay out there somewhere, it would probably make a great read. Too bad it would never make a great movie.

100 GIRLS follows a young man named Matt (Jonathan Tucker, The Virgin Suicides) on a quest to find the girl of his dreams. He's met her already, in the elevator of the girl's dorm during a blackout. They laughed, they talked, and they even had sex. Now he's fallen in love, but she won't show her face. So he sets out to find her. There are a hundred girls to chose from but you as an audience member wind up meeting five or six.

The biggest problem is the tone of the movie. It's a literate drama destroyed by silly jokes. Matt pontificates (that's the only way I can explain it) likes Shakespeare and in the next the moment is acting like Charlie Chaplin. He'll say something completely sweet and good natured and then is called on to stand in front of a bunch of girls and scream `I want to full on kiss your Clitoris.' While the film intends it to be sentimental it's moments like that where you cringe.

Plus it forces Matt to be really creepy. He digs through panty drawers, spends a decent amount of time dressed as a girl, and the only other guy (James DeBello, Swimfan) he hangs around with dangles weights from his penis. Are all these women blind? Because for some reason they seems to like him and even fall in love with him. If I had been a girl, I ask the most important question, why the hell does this guy get to spend all his time in the girl's dorm? I'd probably complain.

You know what the biggest problem with Matt is he won't shut the hell up. I have a feeling if they told this story from the girls point of view they'd all be telling him to shut up. He's like that guy whom thinks he's so bright he forgets to listen to what's going on around him.

As for the girls we meet its Emmanuelle Chriqui (Detroit Rock City) who is the most enchanting. She plays Patty the slut with so much more vulnerability than the part deserves. She's got these amazing eyes and this adorable persona. When she's not on the screen you long for her to be there. It's just too bad there are 99 other girls. I kind of wished the film were told from her perspective, it would have been an interesting glimpse.

I do not recommend 100 Girls. But I don't hate it either. I'll bet writer/director Michael Davis (Eight Days A Week) had high hopes for this movie. There's a lot of hard work and love thrown into the picture. It's just too bad that the movie fails more times than it enchants. There is almost an okay movie here.

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Intelligent??? Whatever..., Aug 26 2003

Seriously, if you want to rent/buy this movie just to see some T&A, go get a real porn. At least real porn doesn't belittle you or liken your genitals to left over elbow skin.

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