It’s a Guy’s movie, after all

At first, How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days sounds like it should be titled How To Lose A Guy’s Interest In 10 Minutes. Despite the “chick flick” first impression, this is one romantic comedy that is surprisingly entertaining, unlike other Titanic-esque flicks.

The film is hilarious, well-directed and has a well-organized plot. Though it may not be quite realistic, it makes sense and relates to any man-woman relationship.

The movie is creatively woven around a young and charming chick magnet named Ben (Matthew McConaughey), and a blazing hot journalist Andie (Kate Hudson).

Their love story begins when Ben boasts that he can make any girl (picked out of a crowd at a party) fall in love with him in 10 days. His colleagues propose a bet as they randomly point out Andie to be Ben’s new dupe.

Being the egotistical ladies man he is, he accepts the bet.

The only problem is Andie is also “coincidentally” looking for a test monkey for her upcoming article, “How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days.” Starting here, the predictable and typical chick flick plot begins to unravel its cliché.

Andie and Ben treat each other like guinea pigs and eventually discover each other’s schemes.

Of course, any romantic comedy wouldn’t be complete until the movie takes the natural problematic twist where boy and girl make up, make out and fall in love.

But before this can happen, Ben must go through many cruel and unusual punishments that his exaggerated high-maintenance girlfriend creatively develops.

Some of these include sitting through a Celine Dion concert, getting his apartment remodeled with a pink draped and a fluffy teddy-infested fortress, getting a new name for his manhood (Princess Sophia) and other “normal” girlfriend stuff.

Unlike her other films, Hudson seems to let her charming and comedic charisma transpire through her character. It’s a major turn from her supporting role in Almost Famous, where she got her big start. As a clean-cut reporter in How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days, Hudson takes on a completely different persona from the drugged-up groupie she played in Almost Famous.

And in this movie, she must incorporate two different personalities into her acting and make them mesh it into one. In How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days, Hudson is a caring go-getter who turns into an exaggerated version of a high-maintenance woman.

It’s a difficult skill to master, but Hudson performs it flawlessly.

As for McConaughey, he must endure Andie and her psychotic and obsessive ways through every second of the film. Like Hudson, must also play a “split personality” role.

To Andie, he’s the loving and patient boyfriend, painstakingly enduring all of her idiosyncrasies. But in reality, he’s just a “guy’s guy” driven to the breaking point of insanity.

Throughout the movie, it’s very difficult to spot any blunders from Hudson or McConaughey, as they both stay in character and perform to perfection.

This is a perfect comedy for the average couple because it’s jam-packed with unpredictable hilarity that makes up for the classic “chick flick” elements that flood the Lifetime Network.

Luckily, unlike Lifetime, a guy can actually stay awake and enjoy the movie, or at least enjoy Hudson’s mesmerizing, captivating and luscious … acting skills.

Comedy, PG-13, Running time: 110 min.

Contact Lukasz Sokolewicz at oraclemovies@yahoo.com