Thursday, November 10, 2011

HOW DO YOU KNOW? (2010)


Written & Directed By: James L. Brooks
Cinematography By: Janusz Kaminski
Editor: Richard Marks & Tracey Wadmore-Smith

Cast: Reese Witherspoon, Paul Rudd, Owen Wilson, Jack Nicholson, Mark Linn Baker, Dominick Lombardozzi, Tony Shalhoub, Kathryn Hahn, Molly Price, Lenny Venito, Tara Subkoff



Star softball player, Lisa, has just been cut from the national team; Scholarly business man, George, has just been indicted from his father's company. With everything that they know in their lives taken from them, Lisa and George attempt to find romance. Lisa's potential boyfriend, Matty, however, is as clueless and perpetually single as they come, and George's girlfriend just dumped him. A chance hook-up through mutual friends, Lisa and George may be able to form a friendship, or more, that can help them climb out of the piles of lemons that life has handed to them

I think this is a good film, but though it was made recently it feels like a film out of place. If this film had been made in the 1950’s to 1980’s I thin the film would still be seen as lighthearted and as fluff but as a penetrating piece of fluff. As it does well by exploring the issues and mindset’s of the characters. Its just that the film feels so breezy, Laid back and easy going. Which is also how the performances go in the film. That there never truly feels like there is anything at stake there is conflict but the conflict is not that vital so the stakes are very low. Which makes the audience feel relaxed and like thereis nothing worth paying too much attention to.

The film is the happiest that James L. Brooks has made. His films are usually romantic but also paint a more cynical look at love and romance and the characters involved in them. They usually have a certain bite and are quotable. Here this film feels like it runs away from his usual trademarks and is just trying to make a crowd pleaser. It feels like a lightweight Jerry Maguire. Where it is just as romantic with great odes to loves spoken by the characters. It just feels more false then truthful.

I enjoyed the cast, Though I felt Resse Witherspoon never had the proper chemistry with any of her love interests. Owen Wilson to me even seemed out of place in this film. I guess he felt more goofy then real in the film. Jack Nicholson is here more as a supporting character that was a last minute favor to the director as Bill Murray was supposed to play the role but dropped out at the last minute. He does good work but his role feels like a afterthought and like he is just there. I will admit this is one of the most strangely cast film I have ever seen. It almost seemed like the cast names were picked out of a bad or if the roles were offered to other bigger names and these were just the first to say yes as they went down the list.
The film has all the ingredients to make a truly good film, but the ingredients are mixed not to the right amounts so that while it has a unique taste it doesn’t come out the recipe is supposed to come out.

I really wanted this film to be better but even when I saw the previews I knew it didn’t look like the type of film I wanted to see. Even though I love most James L. Brooks films. This is the first one when I saw the trailer I really had little interest in the film. So much so that I actually avoided it in theaters. Which is a shame, not that I think I would have enjoyed it if I had seen it there.

The film is very colorful and it is nice to see actors like Mark Linn baker have roles on the big screen again. The film feels closer to a theatrical stage play that is more expressive with locations then a Motion picture. The film just feels more focused on character and dialogue then most modern films. Which is supposed to be a good thing. It just feels like the cast was not up to the task to really sell the material and the Situations could have felt more vital then how they are presented.
The budget of the film was $120 million. Which while the film looks good doesn’t look like it cost that much so I am guessing a good chunk went to salaries. The film
only made $30 million worldwide.

The film isn’t horrible. I just can see what it strives to be and unfortunately falls short of.

GRADE: C

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