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How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days Review By Shawn McKenzie 02/07/2003 Last month I was chewed out by all my guy friends for putting a couple of ?chick flicks? on my Top 10 Best Movies of 2002 list (see that list here.) The truth is that I base my tastes on whether a movie is or is not any good, not on which gender it appeals to at the time. I may occasionally point out the gender preference thing, but it?s not the thing that influences my tastes. Hey, if a ?chick flick? happens to be better than a geek movie, I'm going to give it kudos! How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days is one of those first-rate chick flicks.
Ben Berry (Matthew McConaughey) is an advertising manager who wants to get away from selling guy things like beer and sports stuff with his associates, Tony (Adam Goldberg) and Thayer (Thomas Lennon.) He?d like to take on clients with products that might be considered more feminine, like diamonds, which would ultimately be more profitable for the company. His boss, Phillip Warren (Robert Klein), has already given the diamond campaign to his coworkers, Judy Spears (Michael Michele) and Judy Green (Shalom Harlow.) He tries to convince Phillip that he is not some dumb jock capable of only selling guy things. The Judys are a little ticked that Ben is trying to move in on their campaign. They agree on a bet with him, to be judged by Phillip, that if he can get a woman of their choice to fall in love with him and show up as his girlfriend at an event ten days later, he can have the account. They pick the perfect girl in the ?How-To? columnist for Composure Magazine, Andie Anderson (Kate Hudson), because during a visit to the magazine's headquarters they overheard that she is going to write an article about how to lose a guy in ten days by purposely doing all the things that normally drive men away. Andie was inspired to do the article by her friend Michelle (Kathryn Hahn), who has just been dumped by her latest boyfriend because she committed these mistakes. Andie and her other friend Jeannie (Annie Parisse) decide that this article might help other Michelles out there avoid the same mistakes. Andie's boss, Lana Long (Bebe Neuwirth), loves the idea and approves it. With both of their missions in tow, Ben and Andie meet, both ready to do their individual tasks. Her strategy is to be herself at first (which is perfect, of course), then commit the mistakes. He decides that his usual one-night stand routine isn?t the right one, so he acts a little more smooth. Andie then begins laying it on thick; she does things like taking him to chick flick marathons and bringing over all her girlie stuff to decorate his house. She doesn?t quite understand why he is still hanging on, since she is giving him primo man-losing stuff. As the ten days reaches its end, they begin to see something in each other, especially during the rare times when they drop their acts (like during a visit to Ben?s parents home.)
This is a great movie, and normally I?d recommend it for dates, but I?m not so sure women would want to bring their boyfriends or husbands to this one. Women would love this flick, but it gives insider female information that they might not want men to know. For some sick reason, men and women love playing games, and this movie exposes that fact full out. I laughed so many times because I recognized some of the things that women have done to me. I don?t want to list them here, because I don?t want to give away all the fun parts, but guys?this one has them all. Women might not want you to see that, because they might be doing some right now and don?t want you to know that.
Hudson and McConaughey have amazing chemistry together here. Their individual performances are so expressive, especially when they are reacting to the actions of the other character.
There is only one complaint I had about this one. It had the typical chick flick ending. I?ve already seen it several times in the last couple of months, from Sweet Home Alabama to Maid in Manhattan, and I?m really hoping that someday there will be a chick flick ending that can?t be seen a million miles away.
How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days may be a chick flick, but it is an educational one. I know I learned one or two things that I don?t think women would want me to know. Maybe in a future chick flick review I will reveal some of those revolutions, but for now, I will keep them to myself (or you could just check out the flick yourself!)
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