How Do You Know ---Know what? When to turn it off?

            My review today falls on the romantic comedy "How Do You Know" from James L. Brooks (The Simpsons, As Good as it Gets). This movie came out just a few months ago in December and I hope that none of you out there went to the theaters and paid for a ticket to this garbage. I had high hopes for this movie going into it as it is a James L. Brooks film and seemed like it could be funny. Instead, I was greeted by a complete mess of a movie that I forced myself to stick with until the end just hoping it would get better.
             The movie is about Lisa (Reese Witherspoon), a softball player for the USA national team who gets cut and is stuck suddenly having to reevaluate her entire life. Of course during this life crisis she gets herself into a love triangle with Matty (Owen Wilson), an immature playboy and pitcher for the Washington Nationals, and George (Paul Rudd), a business man about to be indicted by the federal government. The plot though a bit far fetched isn't what ruined this movie. It's how little structure there was too it as the story just bounced around back and forth. George's life is just as bad a mess as Lisa's as his father (Jack Nicholson) is his boss and part player in the legal troubles. Therefore, the story bounces between George's and Lisa's lives and their similarities, but the problem with that was the crappy dialogue and lack of comedy put into it.
              The funniest person in the movie is probably Matty, but even he wears on you and his bright spots are too and far between to keep anyone from being upset with what they're watching. Jack Nicholson's character Charles wasn't too bad either, but he's not important enough in the story to show up a lot. All in all the dialogue and story arc make the movie and viewer feel awkward. That's the best to describe it. The ending doesn't help as it not only lacked feeling, but also the humor they tried to produce out of it.
               As for the acting, I don't think anyone really did a terrible job. I'm more inclined to go along the lines they did the best they could with a crappy script. Jack Nicholson and Owen Wilson were the bright spots along with George's assistant Annie played by Kathryn Hahn (Step Brothers). Paul Rudd and Reese Witherspoon just got annoying pretty quickly.
               In the end, if you can't tell by now, do not, I repeat, DO NOT see this movie! You'll just be upset after wards that you spent that dollar at Redbox for that awful thing called a movie and feel you should somehow be refunded that whole meezly dollar.
               So, my grade is a big thumbs down and one whole star out of four and it's kind of lucky to get that. Very disappointing film.

Look for my next review which will be of the family friendly animated feature "Despicable Me"