Why, Kate Hudson? Why? Why in God's name would you subject yourself to being in a movie so trivial, so predictable and so stupid that they should have been forthright and simply titled it "How To Lose Eight Bucks in Two Hours?"
Kate Hudson is a great actress. Anyone who saw her Oscar-nominated performance in "Almost Famous" will attest to that. Even her co-star Matthew McConaughey has his moments of charm when he is on screen. So how these two serviceable actors find themselves stuck in formulaic tripe like "How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days" is beyond me. One thing is clear: they both need new agents.
Kate Hudson works at a magazine and Matthew McConaughey works at an ad agency. She makes a bet she can make a man love her and leave her in 10 days. He makes a bet he can make a woman love him in 10 days. Then they meet, and hilarity ensues. Or it would if the movie was the least bit funny. This is the plot of an episode of "Friends," not a major motion picture.
I really wish there were more to say about the story of this movie, but there really isn't. All of the stereotypical relationship mistakes are made: she interrupts his poker game, rearranges his medicine cabinet and makes him get a soda during a crucial part of a basketball game. These things are funny sporadically, but not nearly often enough to maintain interest.
The movie culminates in the obligatory Oh-my-god-I-was-just-a-bet-to-you! scene. You have seen it before ("She's All That"), and you will see it again (whatever movie Freddie Prinze Jr. is in next). There is nothing compelling about it. Realistically, if a man found out a woman he loved was pretending to be an annoying harpy, I would think he would be happy, but in movie land they yell and scream and make up.
Enough about the plot. The movie only stays afloat because Kate Hudson is eternally watchable. She shines when she is on screen, and you just can't take your eyes off of her. Here she is playing a more mature, adult role than she did in "Almost Famous," and she exceeds all expectations in how she handles it. She has star quality written all over her and, if she can avoid making movies like this for a few years, she will join Julia Roberts as one of Hollywood's most enjoyable actresses.
Matthew McConaughey is Matthew McConaughey, nothing more and nothing less. He is an older Freddie Prinze Jr. and a younger Richard Gere. He does his job well as the clueless leading man, and for that he should be commended, but he certainly has no higher aspirations in the realm of acting. He will continue to make movies like this one and "The Wedding Planner" and proceed to retire a rich man.He can't be blamed for that, but it certainly doesn't make him a significant actor. The supporting players are indistinguishable, led by Bebe Neuwirth and Adam Goldberg. Neuwirth simply is annoying as the magazine editor, using the broken heart of one of her writers as a tool for enhancing the sales of her trashy makeup and sex magazine.
Goldberg plays one of McConaughey's friends and is boring while doing it. How quickly this guy has fallen. From "Saving Private Ryan" to a stint on "Friends" to this? He must have done something awful to someone. Next stop for Mr. Goldberg: The SciFi Channel. Poor Guy.
Director Donald Petrie's previous movie was "Miss Congeniality." I think that speaks for itself.
So that brings us to the part of the review where I must grade "How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days." I must say I find it difficult, but I am going to give it one and a half stars, and here is why: One star for Kate Hudson alone, for her greatness, beauty, and just for possessing one of the greatest smiles in the world. She is worth the star herself. The half star was earned because this movie bases itself around an NBA Final that pits the Kings vs. Knicks. Knicks! The Knicks are one of the worst teams in the NBA, and I'll make it to the finals before they do. Clearly someone had a sense of humor when writing in that match-up. It's unfortunate that this humor does not extend to the rest of the film.
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