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If the entire American and Russian armies combined were the size of a typical Hollywood movie budget, the filmmaker behind 20 Dates sobs that his movie is equivalent to one French soldier who’s waving a white flag. But this guy’s film, interestingly, is a lot better than any huge army’s romantic comedy.

I just finished watching this award-winning documentary a few moments ago. Twice. It’s incredibly entertaining to see a complete idiot in search of love. Can he find love in Hollywood, a sort of hell where everyone is just a tiny ember and no one notices you? A lot of people don’t think it’s possible, but this guy’s motivated and he gets there. Yeah, it’s an indie film but it goes somewhere. It carries a good message.

The most entertaining theme is that the guy’s a complete jerk and has so many unique problems, so it felt throughout the movie like I could be in his shoes and do the exact same thing, but better. Think of it as The Simpsons’ symbolism: your family can’t be that dysfunctional, so it makes you feel good about what you’ve got. In comparison to the Hollywood teen genre out there, where everything is perfect, happy, but with an unnatural flow, 20 Dates succeeds at finding those exact same emotions, but with real situations. It’s so sincere and so fresh. And because of that, it’s awesome and inspirational.

SUGGESTED AUDIENCE: 20 Dates is a great movie for friends and singles in search of love. But if you’re looking for a date flick, try Casablanca or The English Patient. They’re a lot more appropriately romantic.