
I DON'T KNOW HOW SHE DOES IT (REVIEW)
Rated
PG - 89 mins
Sarah Jessica Parker, Christina Hendricks, Pierce Brosnan, Kelsey
Grammer, Greg Kinnear, Olivia Munn, Natalie Gold
The opening
stanza of the would-be comedy sets the pace for what is essentially an entire
film about multi-tasking.
Redeeming herself after the debacle
that was 'Sex & the City 2' and the slightly more respectable 'Did you Hear
about the Morgans', Sarah Jessica Parker plays Kate Reddy, a determined woman
juggling a soaring career while successfully raising two young children. Yes,
she has a husband. He's a genuine nice easy going guy, but is happy to let his
wife be the breadwinner while constantly frustrated of her love affair with her
mobile phone. He also likes laying about in bed and getting around the house in
his shave-coat.
Kate can't stop her mind ticking over, she
even lays awake all hours of the night making imaginary 'to do' lists in her head.
In a job at a high powered investment firm, successful planning lays the platform
for her main focus. She has been working on a retirement strategy project which
has caught the eye of her dashing colleague played by Pierce Brosnan. Her adjusting
of underwear, messy hair and untucked blouse does little to put off the advances
of the former James Bond.
Back on the home-front, the kids
know what limits to exploit while friends and neighbours have their own 'disturbing'
opinions on how the Reddy family lead their unconventional life. Subtlety is not
a strong point and when certain characters start chatting to the camera in faux
interview segments, the movie is delusional rather than being funny. I don't 'care'
how she does it - may have been a more appropriate title as engaging in these
characters creates detachment to reality.
A good heart and
a key performance from Sarah Jessica Parker rescues this from being a complete
disaster. She somehow manages to create optimistic empathy for stressed out mums.
Pushing a stroller in stilettos does hold a minor amount of charm. The support
cast seem to be taken advantage of with little or nothing significant to do. Christina
Hendricks as Kate's best friend fares some nice moments but watch out for popular
1980's actor Mark Blum (Desperately Seeking Susan, Crocodile Dundee) make an instant
impression. If it is a great romantic comedy you're looking for, the superior
film you must see is 'Midnight in Paris'.
Shane
A. Bassett