Movie Review: How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days

How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days

A co-worker insisted I see this movie and, in fact, loaned me her copy on DVD so that I could do just that. I chose not to see it during its theatrical release because other movies intrigued me more, but I was perfectly happy to enjoy a snack and a soda while I popped the disc into the DVD player on a recent evening at home.

The premise of the movie is a simple one: what is it that some women do to drive men away from them? Andie Anderson (Kate Hudson) is the "how to" columnist for the Composure Magazine. The magazine's editor-in-chief, Lana Jong (Bebe Neuwirth) refuses to let Andie write about most of the things she wants to write about (politics chief among them), but is always interested in any new and superficial ideas for the column. So when Andie's friend and co-worker, Michelle (Kathryn Hahn) drives away yet another boyfriend, Andie pitches the idea to Lana of writing a column about How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. Lana gives Andie the go-ahead, and so Andie heads out on the town to prowl for the prefect victim.

Meanwhile, Benjamin Barry (Matthew McConaughey) is an ad executive who desperately wants to be charged with the ad campaign for the largest diamond wholesaler in the world. During an after hours meeting at a local upscale watering hole, two female co-workers (Michael Michele and Shalom Harlow) insist that only a woman can understand the marketing of diamonds, something with which their boss Phillip Warren (Robert Klein) agrees. In a desperate attempt to get a shot at the account, Benjamin brags he knows so much about women that he can make any one of them fall in love with him in ten days. Phillip agrees to give him his chance, much to the dismay of the female ad execs. But the two women, who happened to learn about Andie's new column idea on an earlier visit to Composure, spot Andie across the crowded room where's she's looking for her own target. Naturally, they select Andie as the woman Benjamin must seduce. Andie does her best to annoy her newfound date mate, while Benjamin puts up with things no sane man would endure, each so that they can do what they've promised their bosses they can do. But as Benjamin finds himself intrigued by Andie despite himself, and Andie starts to have feelings for Benjamin, it's a toss-up as to just what will happen when the two inevitably discover that the other has been lying all along.

How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days is adequately acted (Kate Hudson is a very capable actress, and Matthew McConaughey can be an impressive actor himself - take, for example, his performance in Frailty) largely because the script is only adequate. The movie is utterly predictable from start to finish, and some of the scenes are so exaggerated that portions of the film are badly done farces at best. Young girls will love this movie. Most of the rest of us will be only moderately amused or pleasantly diverted, but no more than that.

FAMILY SUITABILITY: How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days is rated PG-13. There is very little rough language, but there's enough sexual innuendo to make the film inappropriate for the younger set. Girls of about 14 and up will be fine with this movie. Boys age 14 and up could see it - but they'll hate it if they do. Think about making this one a girl's night rental instead.