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How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (Widescreen Edition) by Donald Petrie
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DVD detailsActor: Adam Goldberg, Annie Parisse, Kate Hudson, Kathryn Hahn, Matthew McConaughey Director: Donald Petrie Brand: Paramount Producer: Brian Alexander Producer: Christine Forsyth-Peters Writer: Brian Regan Writer: Burr Steers Writer: Jeannie Long Writer: Kristen Buckley Writer: Michele Alexander DVD: Region Code 1 Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround; English (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround; French (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC, Widescreen Picture Format: 1.85:1 Running Time: 116 minutes Published: 2003-07-01 DVD Release Date: 2003-07-01 Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested) Studio: Paramount
DVD Reviews of How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (Widescreen Edition)DVD Review: (3.5) A movie with flaws, but it improves toward the end. Summary: 4 Stars
I'm not quite sure where to start with this one. I didn't have high expectations, after seeing the trailer, but I thought it was an interesting premise, so finally I rented it. My initial skepticism was promptly validated. Until about 2/3 of the way through the movie I was going to write a rather scathing review and certainly not give it more than a 3.0 rating. The basic plotline is this: Andie Anderson (Kate Hudson) writes a "How to" column for a rather flaky looking magazine that usually covers topics like clothes, diets, dating, etc. Her current topic is "How to lose a guy in 10 days," and she's made a bargain with her boss that if she can successfully drive a man away in that amount of time, she'll finally be able to write about issues that really matter - politics, religion, etc.Meanwhile, Benjamin Barry (Matthew McConaughey) works in advertising, and is desperate to be the one appointed to handle a contract with a huge diamond company. While trying to persuade his boss that he's the right man for the job, the topic of selling diamonds is somehow made synonymous with Ben's ability to sell himself to any woman alive. His boss agrees that he can have the job if he can make a woman (picked by two of his co-workers) fall madly in love with him in the next ten days. He agrees. The co-workers pick a woman out of the crowd and, big surprise, it's Andie. The two begin to date, with Andie doing everything she possibly can to drive him mad, and Ben doing everything he can think of to win her heart. Predictably, they end up falling for each other, and much professional and internal conflict ensues. As I said earlier, the first 2/3 of the film did little to win me over. Most of the characters seemed just too incredibly fake to care about, particularly Andie. The makers of the film took a big gamble, whether they know it or not. The power of romantic comedies comes from having the audience truly wanting the two protagonists to get together in the end. Here, Andie comes across as a cold, calculating snob for much of the first part of the movie, while Ben is a cocky, arrogant playboy. I just didn't feel like rooting for either of them. It's not until the sequence where Ben takes Andie to Staten Island to meet his family that the two really begin to seem like caring, feeling beings. At that point the characters' emotions were much more genuine, and the story began to pick up. From there on I really liked the film, even though the very end was perhaps a little too contrived ... But the chemistry really does come through in the latter part of the film, and thus I raised my rating to a generous four stars. The acting is fairly good all around, despite the fact that most of Andie's co-workers are rather stereotypical scatterbrains who live on emotional roller coasters and think the world is made better by a cup of coffee and new clothes. I'm not sure whether their characters were supposed to be genuine or satire, but either way it adds some comic value to the film. I particularly liked the scenes with Ben's family, as the interactions there seemed the most genuine, and the people there the most real (they're a bit odd at times, granted, but don't most families have their quirks?). DVD features include director commentary, a "Mapping Out the Perfect Movie" sequence with cast and crew interviews that provide extra insight into the film, deleted scenes (most of which I'm glad were not included in the actual film), a "Mapping Out the Perfect Location" featurette, and a music video of the song "Somebody Like You." My parting advice: If you don't like romantic comedies to begin with, don't see this movie. It's [probably] not the one that will win you over to the genre. If you do like romantic comedies (or even if you just have a thing for Matthew McConaughey), it's worth seeing, though it isn't the best. I'd advise renting it first to decide if you really like it or not.
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Description of How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (Widescreen Edition)ANDIE NEEDS TO PROVE SHE CAN DUMP A GUY IN 10 DAYS. BEN NEEDS TO PROVE HE CAN WIN A GIRL IN 10 DAYS. NOW, THE CLOCK ISTICKING - AND THE YEAR'S MOST WILDLY ENTERTAINING COMEDY SMASHIS OFF AND RUNNING IN THIS IRRESISTABLE TALE OF SEX, LIES AND OUTRAGEOUS ROMANTIC FIREWORKS! Kate Hudson twinkles as the heroine of How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, a magazine writer assigned to date a guy, make all the mistakes girls make that drive guys away (being clingy, talking in baby-talk, etc.), and record the process like a sociological experiment. However, the guy she picks--rangy Matthew McConaughey--is an advertising executive who's just bet that he can make a woman fall in love with him in ten days; if he succeeds, he'll win a huge account that will make his career. The set-up is completely absurd, but the collision of their efforts to woo and repel creates some pretty funny scenes. McConaughey's easy charm and Hudson's lightweight impishness play well together and the plot, though strictly Hollywood formula, chugs along efficiently. At moments Hudson seems to channel her mother, Goldie Hawn, to slightly unnerving effect. --Bret Fetzer
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