"How Do You Know"

Well, I thought I knew based on the casting of this film that How Do You Know would be a good movie. The movie was...ehhh...alright. It wasn't bad, it wasn't good, it was just...there. Stars that normally shine in the rom-com genre were just not all that shiny in this movie. I guess the best way to describe my sentiment about this film is "indifferent." This is probably more harsh of a review than I am normally used to writing, but that is because I expected so much!

How Do You Know stars Paul Rudd (who I have loved ever since he played Josh in the smart teen comedy Clueless), Reese Witherspoon, Owen Wilson and Jack Nicholson. Witherspoon plays Lisa, a woman struggling with the end of her Olympic softball career. Rudd plays George, the nice guy who happens to be the target of a federal investigation thanks to his dear old dad, played by Nicholson, who is well-intentioned but still self-absorbed. And then there is Wilson, who plays Matty, a player for the Nationals who up until this point plays not only the baseball field, but the dating field, struggles to commit to Witherspoon. Inevitably, there is a love-triangle: Wilson, the charming and wealthy "boyfriend"; Witherspoon, the pretty and smart girl who doesn't sacrafice her values for some guy; and Rudd, the always kind and slightly awkward guy who falls for Witherspoon despite her being unavailable. Who will Witherspoon choose?!

Like any romantic comedy, the dilemma of the love triangle is predictable and so is the overall plot--but that's not what made this movie bland. The dialogue was there in parts. Paul Rudd was charming per usual. Jack Nicholson's performance--disappointing. Granted, he was not given a lot to work with in terms of his storyline, but Nicholson just did not have that grit which I have come to expect in any Nicholson film--including The Bucketlist. Wilson, although an integral part of the film, seemed to just be...there; his comedic chops were definitely not put to the test and his wit was not sharp like in his films of old. Witherspoon lacked the sparkle that I love in movies like Legally Blonde and Sweet Home Alabama. However, I think the biggest problem for me with this movie was nothing that could have been helped by what normally would be a stellar cast. The problem was that there were too many loose ends: it was anti-climatic; what happened to the big federal investigation that was going on?!; Witherspoon's softball career--she was upset for like a minute, but then what doe she really do with her life? With all of these storylines that seemed important at the time they were introduced, nothing ultimately happened with them. The only thing that was resolved was which guy Witherspoon ends up with in the end, and even that did not seem to come full circle.

So, I guess what I am trying to say is that despite all of the star-power and great advertising, I left the movie with no real emotions about it. If you are really excited for this movie, but have yet to see it, hold off and when you have nothing better to do, Redbox-it when it comes out on DVD.

~Erin