MovieFreak.com - How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days DVD Review

DVD REVIEW

How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2003)

Starring: Kate Hudson, Matthew McConaughey

Director: Donald Petrie

Rating: PG-13

Studio: Paramount

Release Date: 7.01.03

Review Posted: 7.12.03

Spoilers: Minor

Reviewed by Dennis Landmann

Synopsis

As the "How to..." columnist for trendy Composure Magazine, Andie Anderson (Kate Hudson) agrees to write a first-hand account about what it takes to drive a man out of your life… in exactly 10 days. At the same time, eligible ad agency bachelor Benjamin Barry (Matthew McConaughey) accepts a high-stakes bet that he can lure any woman into falling head-over-heels in love with him... also in 10 days. The resulting romantic head-on collision ignites a series of deliriously comic deceptions that prove when it comes to true love… your heart cannot tell a lie.

Critique

The set up is perfect. How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days sets up its premise in a great fashion, right after the creative opening title sequence. Andie wants her story and Ben wants to win his bet. The conflict is set. The comedy is ready to go. The question, "how is this going to work out," speaks volumes. There are all sorts of ways to play out this premise, and for the most part the film makes the right choices. Based on the book by Michele Alexander and Jeannie Long, the film is a fairly enjoyable romantic comedy.

That is, the comedy is there where it needs to be. There are also some genuinely lighthearted moments between the two characters as chemistry appears to develop. Yet the premise doesn’t support that kind of chemistry, because in the back of my head I know these two people are only playing each other to gain an advantage. The problem of their romance is that it is not based on love or affection—it is all a game to see how far each of them will go to reach their respective goals. Hudson plays Andie with great stride and energy. Not only is she beautiful, but also charming and scheming at the same time. Simply put, she looks absolutely gorgeous in this film. Ben is a likeable guy and Matthew McConaughey is perfect for the role. His side of the bargain is to make Andie fall in love with him in 10 days, yet it appears he is also falling in love with her.

For example, midway through the film, both characters enjoy some fun and romantic moments, such as playing a game of bullshit with Ben’s family and riding the motorcycle near the pier. All these moments are nice and fun, but they don’t hold up against the set up. I understand it’s not supposed to be a serious issue, but we’re always reminded of the fact that this is all a game. Then again, the film is a romantic comedy, and there needs to be a twist to the story. Well, by the time Andie and Ben are three days into dating, the ending becomes somewhat predictable by process of elimination.

Namely, the script, by Kristen Buckley & Brian Regan and Burr Steers, is not as straightforward as it might seem. It includes some original, fun moments. Although as it steers towards the end, the question arises, of course, "what is going to happen to Andie and Ben?" By eliminating the negative component, which would be they don’t get back together after ten days, we arrive at the conclusion, though I will not discuss it (figure it out yourself if you up to it). This elimination process continues the predictability of modern romantic comedies, and sadly How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days falls into this general category, despite the twist to its premise.

How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days takes place in about eleven days, and manages to keep the viewer interested—though there is some silliness in the film. Some scenes are a little hard on themselves, and therefore the overall pace of the film is a little slow, but it’s not a major distraction at all; mainly something to point out. Donald Petrie keeps a balance on the premise and allows the actors to develop a little chemistry in select scenes. Both Hudson and McConaughey play their roles very well, which is a definite plus. Overall, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days is enjoyable, despite predictability and some flaws.

6 out of 10

The Video

Paramount presents How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. I didn’t notice any compression artifacts and for the most part there are no major print flaws to speak of. For a film released this past February, however, the transfer shows some evidence of softness and edge enhancement appears in a few scenes as well. On a positive note, the colors are all-around and flourishing. Color detail looks fine, but sometimes too soft. Dark tones and black levels are fine, but a bit weak also. Overall, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days looks fine, but it’s just not on par with other recent Paramount releases (The Hours, for example).

7 out of 10

The Audio

Paramount presents How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days in English 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound. Surround usage is hardly noticeable, only in a few scenes do the rear speakers give off some life, such as in the opening sequence. As suggested by the film’s type, being a comedy and all, most audio comes through the front speakers. Basically, there’s not much Dolby Digital quality to benefit from. On the other hand, dialog scenes are clear and easy to understand. The music soundtrack comes across nicely and is somewhat rich on the front side. The overall audio presentation is just fine.

7 out of 10

The Extras

Commentary by Donald Petrie – This is one of those commentaries where the director touches on just about anything that’s on screen, but also goes off to other topics. Petrie sounds like a nice guy, but his comments are generally not too interesting. It might be the film he comments on, which isn’t a favorite of mine, so I’m inclined to not really care much for some of the production trivia or praise he utters. This is a decent track in general.

5 Deleted Scenes – These arrive with optional commentary by Donald Petrie. The scenes don’t add too much to the film, but they’re nice to check out once. Petrie is soft-spoken as he explains the scenes. He does not really offer reasons for cutting them, however, anyone can probably guess.

In addition, there are two featurettes. The first one, called "Mapping out the Perfect Movie," features interviews with the cast and crew, available from a long list that you have to choose from. It’s nothing spectacular, just harmless talk and clips of the film. The second one, "Mapping out the Perfect Location," is pretty self-explanatory, and overall not very interesting. It explores the film’s locations (there are quite a few nice ones) and features more interviews and clips. Rounding out the extras is a music video for "Somebody Like You" by Keith Urban and the film’s Theatrical Trailer.

You can select to view the film with optional English subtitles. The DVD’s main menu looks cute, but the rest of the menus are not animated. The 115-minute feature is organized into twenty-one chapters.

6 out of 10

Overall

How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days is a lighthearted romantic comedy with a twist to its premise, though it’s also sillier that it should be. Both Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey allow for some chemistry, despite the predictability of the film. Paramount’s video and audio presentations are fine but not up to par with some of the studio’s previous DVD releases. The amount of special features makes sense since the film grossed a little over $100 million at the box office, but the overall value is only decent. I will recommend How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days for the couples seeking a film to rent on a Saturday night, since the overall package is worth it. However, I probably would not recommend the film to anyone else.

RATINGS SUMMARY