How Do You Know (2010)

I should just rename this blog 'Reasons i don't agree with movie reviewers #152'. 
I mean this is James L. Brooks- the man's a golden god. To paraphrase Yeezy, 'his presence is a present'. 
And i love Nathan Rabin and i accept this issues with How Do You Know like all the characters are overly analytical to the point of preposterousness and i could add that- 
it's too long/takes an age to end and the title is just horrible but i guess those things just didn't bother me as much.

I liked this more than i thought i would. I guess the participation of Owen Wilson is a turn off for most. 
I like him too. I'm never going to watch a film because of Owen Wilson but i like the stuff he did with Wes Anderson and i think he's pretty sterling in this, doing that charismatic Texan surfer bit he does. 
Reece Witherspoon is ok-to-good as is Paul Rudd doing his sturdy left-of-centre straightman thing. 
Nicholson does his gruffly intense talking shtick. It's nobody's best work but everyone's likeable enough to care about and be funny.
For me, this movie was about compromising your happiness. Both Rudd and Witherspoon have an asshole in their lives (Nicholson and Wilson respectively). Nicholson is trying to get his son eat a fraud rap equating to a 3year custodial sentence, simply because he'd rather his son take the rap than him. Witherspoon is trying to deal with new beau, Wilson- a charmingly arrogant ass with no apparent inner-monologue. To paraphrase Chris Rock, 'someone who wants credit for some shit they're supposed to do'.
I think that's why Wilson is so effective in this role. He's so premeditated in his douchieness but yet you watch and you eat this guy's BS because he's confident and charming. He thinks because he's knows and you're both aware he's a bit of a thorough jag that it's okay because it was made clear from the outset. 'You know i was an asshole when you got involved with me? What's the problem?'
What is her problem? She doesn't want to change this guy. In a way they're perfect for each other but... Is that all there is? 
Then Rudd enters this love triangle, through means i kinda remember but are too convoluted to say. Rudd and Witherspoon go on a date that begins, muddles and ends poorly but he likes her- whats not to like? She's determined, nice and pretty. And round and round we go around the mulberry bush... 
So Witherspoon has to decide between her 2 suitors and it's long and drawn out but we knew it would be like this before we entered the cinema. 
I'm not selling this movie am i? But i was truly suprised by how funny it was, specifically a scene where Wilson is trying to tell an inspirational story to cheer Witherspoon up, about a guy who gets dropped from his team by the coach and sends him beautifully-wrapped piece of dog shit everyday.

I'm not suggesting you run out to see it now or even rent it but... If when it's inevitably on BBC3 before Family Guy, i think you'll turn it over to find out what this strange programme called How Do You Know, is about and i think you'll enjoy it...


I watched How Do You Know (2010) at the cinema.
My 2011 in Movies will return with Killer Nun (1978)...