Once upon a time, James L Brooks was considered one of the most talented directors, producers and screenwriters and Hollywood. He helmed acclaimed, sharp romantic dramedies like Terms Of Endearment and As Good As It Gets. He produced Wes Anderson's debut Bottle Rocket, and Cameron Crowe's Say Anything. Talent, it seems, has a tendency to fade with age in the same way eyesight and bowel strength does. That's the only way to explain how Brooks's sixth film, 2010's How Do You Know, is an incredibly dull and poorly-written melodrama that can be livened up even with an all-star cast of Reese Witherspoon, Owen Wilson and Jack Nicholson. And Paul Rudd, obviously, who is saddled with the sad sack role of George, a business executive who gets fired when the company is investigated by the FBI and broken up with on the same day. Obviously he's not going to be cracking wise when facing considerable jail time, but Rudd's George doesn't offer anything to make you feel his plight.
Tom Baker is the Comics Editor at WhatCulture! He's heard all the Doctor Who jokes, but not many about Randall and Hopkirk. He also blogs at http://communibearsilostate.wordpress.com/
