How Do You Know (2010– 121 mins) P. Rudd, R. Witherspoon, O. Wilson, J. Nicholson

We are starting to get an overabundance of movies which are not totally romantic comedies but the rom-com-dramas. I don’t know if these studios are thinking the rom-com genre has been over done in the last ten years or so and thus have to throw the drama element to them all, or if it’s by design from the get go. Either way this trend to bill movies in trailers as rom-coms and then after 30 mins of a movie throw some drama in the mix is starting to get on my nerves a bit. It would be ok if most of them, hell if SOME of them were that good, but they all are sloppily written and poorly executed. They take a good cast and put them thru half baked scripts from hell. Problem is at their core most of these types are good movies but they let you down in more ways then they should.

Case in point “How Do You Know” . Here we have two great comedic actors in Paul Rudd, and Owen Wilson. Throw in one of the true beauties in Hollywood in Reese Witherspoon, and a classic actor in Jack Nicholson, and you have a cast that you see and say, wow this could be good! And when you watch the trailer, well hey even more promise! Then you watch it…. More on that after the synopsis.

Two successful people both are hitting rock bottom. Lisa (Witherspoon) is a world class USA softball hottie who has just been cut by the team. To boot she is dating a complete idiot of a pro baseball pitcher (Wilson) who just doesn’t get it. George (Rudd) is getting indicted for crimes he may or may not have unknowingly committed as a lawyer for his father’s company and has been dumped by his girlfriend at the same time. So normally we would get a movie where hilarity would ensue as these two meet and figure out what is what and bam fall in love. And I should be happy that it’s not that predictable, but I am not. This movie is so over-complicated with sub plots and complications that it’s work just to watch it. Two hours?? Seriously? The whole storyline with Rudd and Nicholson as his father could have been completely taken out and shaved 30 mins off running time. They could have made Rudd just get fired for any one of XX reasons and done just the same. It’s frivolous and is just a cheesy way of trying to add drama into the movie.

Verdict–> You won’t hate the movie, it’s not TERRIBLE, but it’s just not as good as the trailer or your own mind would lead you to hope it is. Two hours is just too long for this movie. It will end like you want it to and will be ok when it’s over but about 2/3 of the way thru you will say my God is it over yet? It’s a mid level recommendation, meaning if there is NOTHING else in the Red Box, then get it, but don’t get anything else b/c it;s not a great movie for a double feature unless you are single and on a  date night and just want to spend more time with a cute chick.

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