- MENU
- HOME
- SEARCH
- WORLD
- MAIN
- AFRICA
- ASIA
- BALKANS
- EUROPE
- LATIN AMERICA
- MIDDLE EAST
- United Kingdom
- United States
- Argentina
- Australia
- Austria
- Benelux
- Brazil
- Canada
- China
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- India
- Indonesia
- Ireland
- Israel
- Italy
- Japan
- Korea
- Mexico
- New Zealand
- Pakistan
- Philippines
- Poland
- Russia
- South Africa
- Spain
- Taiwan
- Turkey
- USA
- BUSINESS
- WEALTH
- STOCKS
- TECH
- HEALTH
- LIFESTYLE
- ENTERTAINMENT
- SPORTS
- RSS
- iHaveNet.com: Movie Reviews
On paper and in the gossip-sphere, the new romantic comedy written and directed by James L. Brooks has had a lot to overcome. Ridiculous budget, north of $100 million. Suspiciously few advance screenings. An aura of bland, generic complication in the film's marketing. But "How Do You Know" turns out to be quite good, and its strengths are a lot more interesting than its limitations.
Reports of re-shoots indicate Brooks' own nervousness about the story resolution. Here's how the story begins: A lifelong can-do athlete, Lisa (Reese Witherspoon) has devoted her life to
Clearly we know where we're going in "How Do You Know," the audience certainty underscored by the title being a statement, not a question. The first 20 minutes -- not promising. Hans Zimmer's musical score is the worst kind of sitcom garbage, and in the first scene between Nicholson and Rudd, the exposition keeps tripping over itself.
Then, gradually, you're reminded why Brooks gave us so much good television over the years, in addition to his better movies, chief among them "
Two years ago, the misery-inducing rom-com "Four Christmases" scored a popular success, and if there's a reason for that, I suspect the reason's name is Reese. It's a pleasure to watch Witherspoon relax on screen, as she does in "How Do You Know," and play material for all it's worth without straining for effect. Working with both Rudd and Wilson can't help but unwind a co-star for the better.
The film putters in its third act, yet here too we're given a typical Brooks payoff: As George's longtime and deeply pregnant employee, Kathryn Hahn is treated to a generous amount of screen time, and, in the nicest way, this supporting player hijacks the movie for a while. Most movies would've kept her on the sidelines. Most movies would've found a way, intentionally or just stupidly, to patronize the female lead and make her the object of plot machinery, rather than a reasonably dimensional and approachable human being living her life.
"How Do You Know" culminates in a penthouse party sequence straight out of a Broadway comedy of the 1960s. It's old-fashioned, even static, but I liked it for the same reasons I liked "How Do You Know" in general: It's relaxed without being sloppy, or patronizing, and in particular Witherspoon and Lemmon -- sorry, make that Rudd -- bring charm to burn.
MPAA rating: PG-13 (for sexual content and some strong language).
Running time: 1:53.
Cast: Reese Witherspoon (Lisa); Owen Wilson (Matty); Paul Rudd (George); Jack Nicholson (Charles); Kathryn Hahn (Annie).
Credits: Written and directed by James L. Brooks; produced by James L. Brooks, Paula Weinstein, Laurence Mark and Julie Ansell. A
Copyright © Tribune Media Services, Inc.
How Do You Know Movie Review - Reese Witherspoon & Owen Wilson