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Men In Black 3

It’s not a sequel that needed to be made, but thanks to the charm of its leads and a tone that harks back to the wit and humour of the original, it’s a pretty enjoyable trip.

Bel Ami

The excellent female support cast saves this patchy effort, which is let down by its leading man and a flat screenplay.

The Dictator

A disappointing, often repulsive and mean-spirited mess of a film with seemingly only one real criterion on its agenda: to shock and offend.

The Woman In Black

Packed with atmosphere, this old-fashioned but deftly told ghost story delivers ample chills and thrills.

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How Do You Know (Film)

by Belinda Hazleton | January 25, 2011 11:51 | Edited January 25, 2011 11:52

The high talents of this comedic cast are completely wasted in a poorly scripted and predictable rom-com

Over a long career, James L Brooks has been responsible for well-crafted, occasionally funny and always entertaining films such as Terms of Endearment, Broadcast News and As Good As It Gets. Sadly, none of these descriptions can be applied to his latest production, How Do You Know. Given Brooks' track record and Reese Witherspoon's ability as a comic actor, there were reasons for initial enthusiasm but from the opening scenes, nothing really gels.

 

Lisa (Witherspoon) is an elite athlete, who is seemingly at the end of her baseball playing career. When she learns that she hasn't been selected for the national team, she is devastated, but that same night she still goes out on a blind date with George (Paul Rudd) who has had an equally bad day, for reasons that are never made entirely clear. He works in a family-run business with his father, Charles (Jack Nicholson), and has been summoned by the federal government over a financial crime that he didn't commit. Although Lisa and George don't say much over dinner, due to the distractions of their respective days, there is an immediate attraction between them. Despite this, Lisa returns to her on again/off again boyfriend, Matty (Owen Wilson), an oafish, self-absorbed, womanising baseball star, who is clearly a total mismatch for her.

 

There are no surprises in the simplistic plot, which seemed to start in the middle of nowhere; the early scenes provide little background and are confusing. While watching this film and feeling unmoved by it, one wonders if they are just too far removed from its target audience. However, on reflection, it becomes clear this is simply a poor quality film, from its unpunctuated title onwards!

 

The story is thin and under-developed, the actors are wasted (especially the wonderful Jack Nicholson) and the ending, when it finally comes, is completely predictable. One doubts whether anyone will be interested by then anyway...