How Do You Know, no question mark, is not a great film. Notice how I do not call it a bad film though, just not great, just fine, average… Boring.
From the start we catch on early that Lisa’s (Witherspoon) whole life has been one dedicated to softball and when, at the ripe old age of 31, she gets cut from her team her whole life is turned upside down. Almost in an act of escapism from her current plight she hooks up with a hotshot major league baseball player (Wilson). Equally at a lifetime low is down-on-his luck businessman (Rudd) who has troubles with the law and with his likeably shifty father (Nicholson). Witherspoon and Rudd collide in what the production notes would have you believe is “winning comedy”… I’m sorry to say that is not quite accurate. Sure there is some sharp comedy in places, but if the film wins anything it is the award for mediocrity.
I tend to enjoy the performances of Witherspoon, Wilson, Rudd and Nicholson and I also quite like some of the writer/director James L. Brooks’ other films. However, despite the good cast, and proven script writer I did suspect that I might be disappointed. You may ask how did I know? Maybe it was the mundane title, which incidentally didn’t even have too much bearing on the film, or maybe the fact that I had heard very little about it from its cinema release (did it even have one?) and, as you would have guessed by now, those suspicions were confirmed.
The characters and script are certainly original and the makers deserve kudos for that, however it all just feels too contrived, maybe it would have worked with a bit more outlandish humour. There are some great one liners in there but very few laugh out loud moments. Instead it feels very artificial and forced and the lack of chemistry between any of the so called romantic triangle does little to help. You don’t feel for any of the characters and that combined with slow pacing and a poor musical score leaves you bored.
It is a shame as the film had the potential to be great, it had a fair budget, god knows what they spent it on though, good actors and director and a script with some interesting ideas and humour but ultimately I feel they struck out with this one. One to miss.
And the pedant in me still can’t abide the lack of a question mark.
DVD extras:
The DVD extras includes deleted screens (with optional director’s commentary), a blooper reel, extra Innings featurette, commentary with filmmakers and “select scenes commentary with the director and Owen Wilson”. You get even more if you splash out on the Blu-ray.. including, amongst others, an additional 5 minutes runtime and bumped up rating (from 12 to 15)… I doubt that would change my opinion though.
How Do You Know is out on DVD and blu-ray 20th June 2011.
Director: James L. Brooks
Writer: James L. Brooks
Stars: Reese Witherspoon, Paul Rudd, Owen Wilson, Jack Nicholson
Runtime: 116 min
Country: USA
Film Rating: 
DVD Rating:
