Review of 100 Girls (2000) by Rick E — 14 Mar 2004

Matthew (Jonathan Tucker) has a problem. After attending a party in the girl?s dorm, he becomes trapped in the elevator during a blackout with a mystery girl. The pair spends the time making brilliant observations about relationships, prompting them to consummate theirs. When the lights come back on, the girl is gone and Matthew embarks on a mission to find her?.by raiding the panty drawer of every girl in the dorm hoping to find the bra to match the panties left behind by his third-floor paramour. Such is the premise of 100 Girls, a film that strives to be more than the typical teenage sex farce but only succeeds part of the time.

The script is a cornucopia of keen observations about the sexes, relationships, life, and love. Most hit the mark and some are hilarious ? my wife found a comment regarding God?s use for left over elbow skin especially astute. The problem is, they are presented as dialogue and the unnatural way the characters converse with one another becomes tedious after awhile. It?s as if they?re all quoting John Gray and Dr. Laura to one another. The idea that these young people could have such a firm grasp on the philosophical aspects of the topics they cover is so unbelievable that it kept pulling me out of the moment.

Tucker?s (Texas Chainsaw Massacre) Matthew is sweet, a do-gooder with a wry sense of humor. He is the perfect mix of innocence and charm and it?s not hard to believe that these women would allow him to enter their world so willingly. Jaime Pressly (Joe Dirt, Ringmaster, Torque) appears as Cynthia, a beautiful girl using her looks to obtain favors from men. Katherine Heigl (My Father The Hero, MTV's Wuthering Heights) is Arlene, a tomboy trading barbs with Matthew during heated games of strip foosball. Larisa Oleynik (10 Things I Hate About You) does a good turn as Wendy, the closeted lesbian who decides to help Matthew in his search. And Emmanuelle Chriqui (A.I.Artificial Intelligence, Wrong Turn) is Patty, the promiscuous art student with eyes for Matthew.

The directorial debut for Michael Davis, 100 Girls is much smarter than the typical teen sexploitation film, but it still relies too heavily on dumbing down its audience and graduates with average grades.