How Do You Know

When he is not producing and offering advice on 'The Simpsons' film maker James L. Brooks writes and directs movies.

James' previous films have been very highly respected and admired. However lately he has not been getting that respect. I think he has lost a lot of his shine. As most of you know I'm a big fan of romantic comedies and usually give them a lot more leeway than other styles of films. But I could not do that here. There is not much by way of plot and boils down to a woman not being able to decide which man she wants to be with. The problem with that is one of the guys is a real asshole and the other is nice. Normally in these situations the asshole guy is not an asshole in front of the girl but he is in this film. Matty (Owen Wilson) is a really selfish guy and I don't know why Lisa (Reese Witherspoon) is with him. He keeps doing really stupid things but she keeps going back to him. This then makes her seem like an idiot for being with him. Especially when she has such a nice guy like George (Paul Rudd) as a friend. For a comedy the film is not very funny either. I hardly raised a smile at all. I also hated some of the cinematography in the film. There were a couple of scenes which had these unnecessary closeups which got in really close to the actors face and was very off putting.

Ever since she won her Oscar, Reese Witherspoon has not done many films and the ones she has done have not been that great. I think she can be such a nice bubbly sort of girl in most romantic comedies but here she is very drab and lifeless. Owen Wilson does well as the unlikeable character. We are suppose to find his antics funny but I found it dumb. Paul Rudd is by far and away the best thing in the film. He is excellent as he raises above the dull cast he has to work with. Jack Nicholson makes a nice appearance in a small role.

A dull and very lifeless comedy that has so many dumb characters that you cannot care much about them.