"It will be how to hook a guy in reverse."
HOW TO LOSE A GUY IN 10 DAYS is loosely based upon the humor book, "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days:
The Universal Don'ts of Dating", by Michele Alexander and Jeannie Long. As all romantic comedies go, the ending
is a foregone conclusion, how it reachs the conclusion is where all the fun comes from and this conclusion is a good one.
"It will be how to get a guy in reverse."
Michelle played by Crossing Jordan's Kathryn Hahn has just had the love of her life leave her for no
reason. Her boss Lana (Bebe Neuwirth) wants Michelle to write an article on how it feels to be dumped. She can't do it and
Andie Anderson (Kate Hudson) comes to her rescue by offering to do an article. She will find a guy she finds interesting
and get him to fall for her and then she will proceed to do everything she can think of to lose him in 10 days; she will do everything
a guy hates, she will be needy, clingy and moody. What she doesn't know is that her soon to be victim is also out to prove a
point.
  
"You'd have to understand women which you don't"
At an advertising meeting cocky, Benjamin Barry (Matthew McConaughey makes a bet with his boss Philip Warren
(Robert Klein). Ben wants a special diamond advertising account but the consensus is that a man does not have the
sensitivity and understanding of what a women wants. He, on the other hand, feels he can sell himself to any woman and he
knows how to do it. He wants to move on from beer and sports equipment accounts in favour of more luxurious accounts.
The two women (Michael Michele and Shalom Harlow) who also want the diamond account make him a bet that he can not entice and hold on to a woman
for ten days. If he suceeds he will get to do the big pitch to the client, a diamond consortium run by Mr. and Mrs. DeLauer played
by James Mainprize and Liliane Montevecchi. At a bar they pick out Andie for him to work his "magic" on.
"Miss Babylon 5...she's on the prowl."
Fate brings these two people together and of course once fate makes up it's mind, it can't be denied. Ben's two opponents
know that they have picked a hard case but once he lays on the charm Andie is convinced that he is the mark. They go out to
dinner and the game begins. At first the two seem a bit at a loss at being what they really are not. The sexual tension is high
but they both realize this is going to be played carefully.
  
"Are you ready to go for a ride Andie?"
"Are you ready....to go for a ride Ben?"
The games quickly begin between the two. She pulls nasty stunts and he works hard to endure them. A a Knicks basketball game
she keeps sending him out to get food and drink for her. Of course what he gets is never right and out he goes again missing all
the game highlights. He sticks by her. She calls him at work and acts like a bubble head while Ben is trying to finish a presentation.
Andie takes him to a chick flick at a theatre called CHICK FLICK THEATER and talks throught the entire film. He ends up getting
punched out by a big patrons. At another time while Ben prepares a dinner for her, she goes around the apartment around. When
she is served the dinner she pretends to be hurt by saying she is a vegetarian. In reality this girl can down a few burgers in one
sitting. He takes her to a Chinese restaurant for A veggie meal. There she starts a scene by yelling out that Ben thinks she's fat.
While the poor boy suffers, she sneaks out to the kitchen to eat real food and watch a Knicks game while he sits at the table
stewing away. But Ben hangs in there even after he finds women products, such as Vagisil in his medicine cabinet. This guy is
tough and determined, she is surprised.
"True or false. All's fair in love and war?"
"True"
"Good answer."
Okay so you think this is all she does to poor Ben? Wrong. She really gets desperate as time goes on and digs in his heels both
determined to suceed. Andie's evil machinations contunue. She names his member Princess Sophia even though he would prefer
Butch or Warrior King or Krull. Instead she eventually brings a small dog home and names him Krull...oohh...nasty. She even lets
the dog pee on his pool table. She acts wild, ripping his shirt off one minute and then acts cold suddenly. She starts acting like a
psycho but he sticks by her. I have to stop telling you all her stunts here as it would take up too much room.
"I'm going to make you wish your were dead.Poor guy."
While they both go about enduring each other to win their individual bets, they inevitably begin to find true love. The cincher is a visit
to Ben's family. His family is quite bolsterous at best but they are endearing and really like Andie. The ensuing day brings them
closer together until they both come to the realization that do not like the games they are playing and are falling in love.
"Hey, women of New York. Frost yourself."
"Frost you."
"Well, I like it."
Andie confides in Hana that she can not write the aricle. Hana tells her that she is a professional and must do he job. A ravishingly
beautiful Andie shows up at the DeLauer Diamond Party. Here the game comes to a head. The two engage in a silly duelling
duet version of the song "You're So Vain" that is really funny to watch. The eventual resolution will hopefully satisfy you as it
did me. Of course as most of you who have read my other reviews on these type of films, know that I am a sucker for the happy
romantic endings.
"Oh no, our love fern is dead."
"No it's just sleeping."
HOW TO LOSE A GUY IN 10 DAYS is not one of those comedies where one of the two romantic leads lie to the other
and then eventually one has to forgive the other. Here, instead, they are both at fault and neither one is more guilty than the other.
Therefore when the movie asks us to root for them to come together, it is easier to do since we know they are both quilty and the
balance works out. What makes all this easier to accept is that the two leads, Hudson and McConaughey have chemistry and
look really good together. The two play their characters, likable and compatible enough that you can not help but cheer them on to
a real relationship together. You want to see these two get together because they seem to be the type of people you would want
to hang with in the real world.
"Is this true or are you just trying to sell magazines?"
Obviously, this movie borrows from many other movies of this genre but the trick is to do it in a different way. A long time ago I
interviewed the late sci fi writer Roger Zelazany (The Doors of his Face, the Lamps of His Mouth). He told me, a young
writer/artist, that pretty well everything we know of to date has been drawn before or written about; so what is important is how you
approach the subject. That comment has stayed with me all my life and when I review movies, I accept that everything has been
done before; so I look to see how the story is approached. This movie approached the romance comedy from a different angle
and that makes it worth your movie dollar. The idea is strange when you think about it. In HOW TO LOSE A GUY IN 10 DAYS
Andie's dilemma is, that for the sake of an article she could loose the man she loves. I mean if it was for a job or career it would be
understandable, almost. Until the late sixties women in movies would give up their jobs at the end of a movie in order to marry
some loser. But was that any crazier than this? You see this is the hook and what makes this movie more interesting.
"There isn't a diamond that sparkles like a woman in love."
Now play it smart and take your date to see this movie. That is all that needs to be said. So go.
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