A frothy, sometimes stupid, sometimes sweet romantic comedy, "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days" coasts on the unlikely charm of its star leads - Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson.
McConaughey is Hollywood's perennial Next Big Thing - floating in the cinema purgatory between star name and 'proper' actor. Hudson, in contrast, has Tinseltown pedigree (of a sort), as the daughter of Goldie Hawn.
Critically adored - for some unfathomable reason - as the teenage groupie in Cameron Crowe's "Almost Famous", here she suggests she could at play, if not a proper adult, then at least a movie one.
She's the implausibly named Andie Anderson, a columnist on empty-headed women's magazine Composure.
Tired of writing about make-up and shopping, she wants to break political stories, but will only get the chance if she nails "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days" - an article about driving a man away using 'classic' relationship faux pas.
Through reasons too boring to go into, she ends up stuck with advertising creative Ben Barry (McConaughey). But - ha, ha! - he has a bet going with his boss, that he can make a girl fall in love with him in - you guessed it - 10 days. Will he hook Andie, or can she scare him away?
The scene is set for classic rom-com scenarios, with characters constantly confounding their companions' expectations, and plenty of amusing observations about the pit - and prat - falls of the dating game.
Here the movie scores, with broad but effective jokes. Also, the gusto of Hudson impresses, as Andie feigns a series of unflattering, cringe-making characteristics.
Everything falls apart in the messy final third, but the star charisma just about carries you through, making this fun, funny, Chick Lit-style chortler an ideal date movie for the undemanding.
How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2003)
