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HOW
TO LOSE A GUY IN TEN DAYS
by
debbie lynn elias
Opening in theaters
everywhere on Friday, February 7, 2003, "How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days"
is the perfect Valentine date movie. (Okay girls - the reminder is out
there!) Starring the exuberantly effervescent Kate Hudson and one of Hollywood's
sexiest and most eligible bachelors, Matthew McConaughey, "How to Lose"
has all the makings of a classic romantic comedy.
Kate Hudson stars as Andie Anderson, a perky little "How To" columnist
journalist for the popular women's magazine, "Composure" while McConaughey
steps up as struggling ad exec and lifelong bachelor Benjamin Barry.
Always in search of that "perfect" column, Andie concocts the idea
of "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days" - a scenario, and set-up, which
will have her reel in a guy and then intentionally screw up the relationship
making those god-awful mistakes we women have repeatedly made over and over
and over again through the ages. (Some things we just never seem to learn.)
And of course, what better target, than an avowed bachelor...like Benjamin.
But this won't be as easy as it seems because unbeknownst to Andie, Benjamin
has made his own pact with the devil - make a woman fall in love with him in
ten days and he gets to pitch his advertising ideas to the corporate mucky-mucks
a diamond company. (Hopefully it's DeBeers - they need all the help they
can get.) As Andie tries to alienate Ben and Ben doggedly
tries to hang in there and make her his, battle lines are drawn, hearts go pitter-pat
and both wonder what the heck they've gotten themselves into because truth be
told, they really are crazy about each other.
The team of relative newcomers Kristen Buckley and Brian Regan, those responsible
for "102 Dalmatians" and Burr Steers, do a respectable job of translating
the book of the same name by Michele Alexander and Jeannie Long and bringing
it to the big screen and capitalize on the some of the Mars-Venus hilarity that
all of us have experienced at some point and to which we can definitely relate.
We've got Andie tricking Ben into a Celine Dion concert (in my youth - and even
now - it was Barry Manilow); Andie interfering with the boys' weekly poker game;
Andie rearranging the apartment with very giddy and frilly girly items complete
with those strategically, open and obviously placed feminine hygiene products,
the sight of which is guaranteed to make most men walk out the door saying "I'll
see you next week."; and of course, we've got Andie planning their future
together (and this is one time Bill Gates should NOT be thanked for the versatility
and genius of computers) complete with computer generated photographs of their
future children. Yep, every man I know would be long gone by now...if
they had even come through the door to begin with. But not so for Ben
as he sees the bigger picture and wants that diamond account, so he hangs in
there, giving the writers a chance to give us girls some wonderfully sweet and
romantic scenes as this two-way con turns into a relationship and love that
both try to deny. Unfortunately, the otherwise engaging script takes a
wrong turn with the film's climatic moments, taking two very likable characters,
dummying them down and taking them out of character. Kudos though to Hudson,
McConaughey and director Donald Petrie who overcome these shortcomings, albeit
with some difficulty, and not without making the audience feel a bit shortchanged.
Hudson, in her first major lead role after wowing us with her supporting performance
in "almost Famous," is ideal as Andie. With a persona and laugh
as infectious as that of her mother, Goldie Hawn, we can thank our lucky stars
that the apple didn't fall from the tree in this family. Even
where the film falters, Hudson is enchantingly radiant. McConaughey also
glides through his performance as Benjamin with a silky ease and his killer
Southern charm and smile. And the chemistry between the two!!
Talk about sparks! Better yet, let's take it up a notch to "rockets
red glare!" Again, another great pairing along the lines
of Gere and Roberts, Roberts and Grant, Grant and Bullock, Grant and Hepburn
and Grant and Bergman.
The supporting cast is equally as excellent with Kathryn Hahn, best known from
television's "Crossing Jordan," as Andie's best friend Kate and Adam
Goldberg from "A Beautiful Mind" as Ben's. Disappointing is
the incomparable Bebe Neuwirth whose role as Andie's straightlaced, non nonsense
boss can only be described as limited at best. While Neuwirth's performance
is pitch perfect and so reminiscent as her best known character, "Lilith"
from the long running television series, "Cheers" and "Frasier",
the writers missed a golden opportunity to exploit Neuwirth's considerable comedic
talents as a more involved element in Andie's scheme. What a loss for
the moviegoer.
And what can be said about director Donald Petrie. Responsible for such
hits as "Miss Congeniality", "Mystic Pizza", "Grumpy
Old Men" and "My Favorite Martian", Petrie is clearly in his
element and brings the whole package together as if gift wrapped and tied with
a big red Valentine bow.
Andie: Kate Hudson
Ben: Matthew McConaughey
Director: Donald Petrie
Running Time: 116 minutes
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