DVD reviews
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The Illusionist
“...a film that generally brings warm smiles rather than belly laughs...”
Treasure Guards
"A willing suspension of disbelief should get most viewers across the line."
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How Do You Know (DVD)
Year: 2010
Rating: M
Director: James L. Brooks
Cast: Jack Nicholson, Paul Rudd, Owen Wilson, Reese Witherspoon
Release Date: June 08, 2011
Distributor: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
The Film: 3.0
The Disc: 3.0
FILMINK rates DVDs and Blu-rays out of 5“...enough positives to gloss over the flaws.”
Lisa (Witherspoon) is a professional softball player who just got cut from the team and is grappling with making a long-term commitment to her casual boyfriend, Matty (Wilson). In her time of crisis, she meets George (Rudd), who has just been dumped by his girlfriend and is under federal investigation. How Do You Know follows the intersecting lives of Lisa and George, both on the cusp of a potential life crisis, and both grasping for a lifeline.
Helmed by James L. Brooks (Terms Of Endearment, As Good As It Gets, producer of The Simpsons), How Do You Know copped more critical flak than was necessarily warranted. Yes, the film is heavily flawed - the plot is essentially static, the situations sometimes less than engaging, and the running time longer than necessary. But it's also a smartly written romantic comedy - a rarity in the genre as a whole - filled with charming characters acted with gusto by the talented cast. The film has enough positives to gloss over the flaws, and there is much pleasure to be derived from watching the likeable characters sort their lives out.
The DVD features a filmmaker's commentary, deleted scenes with commentary by Owen Wilson and James L. Brooks, a making of featurette and blooper reel.
