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How do you know? It is a standard relationship question. How do you know that person is “the one”? But it also pertains to films. How do you know if a movie is going to be a total waste of time and money? Sadly you don’t know until it is over. Sure, somewhere early on you start realizing that your hopes and dreams for this movie are never going to come to fruition and you have to wonder if you should bail out now or stick it out until the end. But that is after you have already forked over your hard earned cash.  In the romantic comedy, How Do You Know, the characters might be clueless but there is no doubt from the film is disaster. 

Lisa (Reese Witherspoon) is in a relationship with Matty (Owen Wilson). George (Paul Rudd) wants to be in a relationship with Lisa. And although Lisa likes George she is committed to Matty, even though Matty isn’t the sharpest knife in the proverbial drawer. Lisa and George are also going through some separate personal problems that have nothing to do with the movie, but the writers decided to throw them in there for some reason. George is being investigated by the government in regards to some business dealings. He is getting no help from the owner of the company (Jack Nicholson), who also happens to be his father. His pop is just looking for a scapegoat. Lisa is a professional softball player on the last leg of her career. She just wants to escape. 

I like Reese Witherspoon a lot. I also like Wilson and Rudd. I don’t like any of them together. There is no sparkle or even a drop of chemistry between any of them. That is disastrous in a film like this. The premise might suggest Romantic Comedy but neither element can be found. Sure Wilson delivers a couple of bumbling “gotta love me like a lost mutt” sort of lines but they are no way redeemable to the entire project.  Rudd and Reese seem awkward on screen and you have to wonder if they really should get together at all. I was almost pulling for them to all go their separate ways and be done with it. 

Also the writing had too many concepts and not enough congruency. I felt at times like I was watching three different films. I am a fan of this genre and I know how it is supposed to work. This one didn’t come close. Witherspoon seemed distracted throughout most of the 120 minutes and her character, a tough sportsperson, seemed better suited for someone else. Reece can normally knock it out of the park in her sleep but even she had a hard time reviving this flat liner. 

How Do You Know is rated PG-13 for sexual content and some strong language. It was originally rated R for some language but was reduced on appeal/re-edit. I feel like it is still a 16 and up film and the language pushes the envelope for PG-13. If it were a great film I could almost see advocating the content if it were used for drama or to better understand the characters emotions. But the fact that the film has no depth or a hint of purpose makes the content even more objectionable. I give it 1 out of 5 curve balls. The trailer makes you think you are getting a witty, cute and charming look at relationship questions but instead all you get is two excruciating hours of wanting to break up and move on. 

-Matt Mungle

Review copyright 2010 Mungleshow Productions. Used by Permission.