The Film
How do you know you just lost an evening? You'll realize it pretty soon after watching How Do You Know, a movie that puts Reese Witherspoon, Paul Rudd and Owen Wilson in a love triangle. Lisa (Witherspoon)'s life is in flux when she's dropped from the women's USA baseball team. While unsure, she jumps into a relationship with Matty (Wilson) while flirting with George (Rudd).
In this threesome Matty is the most unlikeable of the bunch, but has the most going for him as a well-paid baseball player. George has legal troubles and Lisa serves as his only distraction from being indicted for corporate wrongdoing that he didn't even commit.
The Picture
In this 1080p transfer in an HDTV-friendly 1.85:1 aspect ratio, colors are bright, almost to the point of being oversaturated. Skin tones have a sun-kissed look. Actors and their surroundings practically pop off the screen. The settings, primarily a handful of apartments, or studio sets crafted to look like apartments, are rendered in rich detail.
The Sound
With dialog front and center, Sony's 5.1 channel DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack brings in all the necessary interactions and the occasional surround cue. Beyond that, plenty of opportunities are missed. In external scenes ambient noise is just not there. At a restaurant you'd expect to hear the sounds of other diners, clinking dishes and the kitchen's operations. You hear dialog, or a lack of dialog (in one scene) and that's about it.
Perhaps that's why most of the film takes place in the apartments of a few characters. You don't expect to hear much noise in the background, except maybe for the occasional traffic outside the window.
The Extras
Here's where the Blu-ray outdoes itself. How Do You Know, directed by James L. Brooks, has a number of deleted scenes, a blooper reel and several featurettes. Brooks supplies plenty of commentary on selected scenes and interviews with him and the actors appear in several of the featurettes. The Blu-ray has almost twice as many exclusive extras as those that also appear on the DVD.
Final Thoughts
In the extras, Brooks and others talk about the research that went into building the characters, namely that of Lisa. While her athletic background is built in, her motivation for dating a guy like Matty is lost on the viewer. At times the acting felt stilted, as if actors were merely reading lines. Other times actors overdid there parts. It never really felt natural so naturally I can't give it an unqualified recommendation.
Product Details
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