How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days

When Steel Magnolias came out, a New York Times film critic gave the film a five word review -- "Fingernails scratching on a blackboard." While I don't agree with the sentiment, I find the brevity admirable. I could probably sum up this film in two words -- "ultimately unsatisfying." A lot of "chick flicks" are like this. You enjoy the wisecracks, the styles, the female centered sensibility, but in the end you're left with very little more than you came in with. However, unlike other women, or so it seems, I enjoy watching Matthew McConaughey -- he's a handsome man, and he's also a better actor than most realize. (If you get a chance, see him in Thirteen Conversations About One Thing, a drama about fate, and definitely not a chick flick.) He's slacking in this film, but at least it's obvious he's slacking. I remain on the fence about Kate Hudson. She has some kind of spark, but I don't think she's focused it yet and I'm sure she's not working up to her potential. I'm discussing the acting in this review because there really isn't anything else to talk about -- I'm sure you can figure out the plot from the title, and the direction isn't anything special. If you find yourself on a Friday night after a hard week and you can't even decide what toppings you'd like on your pizza, lose yourself in this film for a couple hours. That's what it's for.

year: 2003
length: 116 min.
rating: 2.5
IMDB link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0251127/combined