I’ve just returned from seeing The Way of the Gun. It’s 11:30pm.

Throughout the entire movie, my friend couldn’t think of a more "gratuitous" film than this. Good word. He couldn’t stop looking at his watch, chuckling louder than appropriate at its awkward moments, and leaving by telling me that it was the worst movie he’s ever seen. Even worse than Play It To The Bone, which we saw for 30 minutes, and left, because we agreed. My friend’s overdramatic acting annoyed me because I was fixated. I enjoyed this film, for one more reason than what it’s worth.

This film was suggested to me by my mentor. He inspires me, assists me, and lives 5,000 miles away. He’s not a filmmaker or even a film critic, but rather a creative genius with a keen eye for what I agree with as coolness. I was curious when he e-mailed me, suggesting that I check it out. Tonight’s menu for my friend and I was The Way of the Gun versus The Exorcist. Tough decision, but I value a fresh look with a thumbs-up from this guy over revisiting a classic for the multipleth time.

The Way of the Gun caught me off guard. Maybe it was the ad for The Geena Davis Show before the trailers. Or maybe because it was different, offbeat and extremely stylistic. Not exactly the indie searchlight from Artisan Entertainment that I could predict. This film dove into something, developed, and then left. (Hmm… maybe just like Anna Paquin’s baby…nevermind.) The strongest point, which I believe is my friend’s final nail, is the dialogue. It was the type of dialogue that is prophetical and thought-out. It’s not fresh and real. That’s not something I usually take well. It enters my ears as very "Dawson’s Creek" and too perfect. I prefer deep and realistic, like The Tao of Steve and High Fidelity. So I was giving my interests a risk and giving this western/drama/action a chance.

Twists and turns, bloody baths of sound effects, and I only take one thing from the film as I exit the multiplex theater, sucking on a mint. The film is about life-changing choices. As a 17-year old, I haven’t made a lot of those, so it had to go deeper for me to walk away thinking so. The choices were about personal values and how each character had a different, secret way of handling the situation, different than what they were saying. It was a clever drama with a long intercourse of ideas, sandwiched between the opening and final actions.

But, need I be clear that this was entertainment and nothing more. It was no Almost Famous, which included much more than my preference in dialogue. It just tested the waters on Pulp Fiction, starting with its regular use of medium and close-up shots of violence for intimacy purposes. I walk remembering none of the actual dialogue or relating any of it to my own life. However, for the time when I sat and involved myself in the story, I was entertained. I came with a suggestion and left with that suggestion agreeing with me. I don’t, however, recommend this movie.

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.