HOW TO LOSE A GUY IN 10 DAYS (2003) / ** 1/2
Directed by Donald Petrie. Screenplay by Kristen Buckley, Brian Regan and Burr Steers, based on the novel by Michele Alexander and Jeannie Long. Starring Kate Hudson, Matthew McConaughey, Kathryn Hahn. Running time: 116 minutes. Rated PG for mild language by the MFCB. Reviewed on February 17th, 2003.
By SHANNON PATRICK SULLIVAN
Synopsis: Women's magazine columnist Andie Anderson (Hudson) is assigned a story in which she'll date a guy for ten days, during which time she'll commit every faux-pas ever accused of the fairer sex. Advertising executive Benjamin Barry (McConaughey) has wagered an important new account that he can make any girl fall in love with him in ten days. Inevitably, the pair select each other.
Review: Maybe it's because I saw it on Valentine's Day, but I found "How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days" unexpectedly entertaining. Sure, it's contrived and follows the old story of guy-meets-girl-loses-girl-gets-girl-back (and if that's a spoiler, you clearly don't watch enough movies). But it's at least founded on an interesting idea -- which is more than most romantic comedies can claim these days -- and boasts charismatic performances from its leads. Indeed, "How To Lose A Guy" reminded me a lot of last fall's "Sweet Home Alabama", another picture which didn't aspire to much, but at least managed to be reasonably funny and charming. Of course, "How To Lose A Guy" has its flaws too. Most notably, there's a real inconsistency in tone which threatens to throw the movie off its tracks completely: particularly in the middle of the film, we veer from near-farce to sentimentality in the space of just a couple of scenes. And generally poor use is made of the supporting characters, who seem to exist only as agents of the plot and have little independent substance -- go on, tell me what role Annie Parisse's character, Jeannie, plays beyond giving Hudson someone to bounce dialogue off. Still, for those in search of a few laughs unencumbered by the demands of a meatier movie, "How To Lose A Guy" serves pretty well -- but preferably viewed with a date, on Valentine's Day.
Copyright © 2003 Shannon Patrick Sullivan. Archived at The Popcorn Gallery, http://www.physics.mun.ca/~sps/movies.html
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