I Don't Know How She Does It: "I Love My Work. Although Sometimes I Wish I Didn't Love It So Much"

Director: Douglas McGrath
Writer:    Aline Brosh McKenna
Starring: Sarah Jessica Parker
               Pierce Brosnan
               Greg Kinnear
               Christina Hendricks
               Olivia Munn
               Busy Phillips
               Kelsey Grammer
               Seth Meyers
               Jane Curtin
Rating:    **

Home Release: 2011

Based on Allison Pierson's novel of the same name, comes a "comedy" about a workaholics abilities to juggle work, children and a struggling marriage.
Kate Reddy (Parker), by day she works for a finance management firm, but by night she is a full-time mother of two and a devoted wife to out of work Richard (Kinnear). She is just managing to keep her head above water, but with meddling in laws (Curtin), slimy colleagues (Meyers), demanding bosses (Grammer & Brosnan) and bitchy housewives (Phillips), things don't always go smoothly. Of course she has her friends to help her through her issues, and they come in the form of warm and caring Allison (Hendricks), and her cold, child fearing assistant Momo (Munn).
The characters are interesting enough, and the actors do a fine job, all of the faults in the film lie in the writing/storyline/direction. My first issue is the directors decision to keep breaking the fourth wall, and having Parker address the audience. Okay, sometimes it works, but when she only does it twice it feels really out of place and gimmicky. Secondly the cliches make me want to scream, I literally haven't seen such a contrived film in a while. Whether it's the child hater falling pregnant (Shock), a possible spark between Kate and Jack (her boss, in Brosnan form), or a child injuring themselves when she is away at a meeting (No Way!!!). Every scene is jam packed with poor writing, that is dated and boring, it is only saved by the actor and the odd funny moments, and I really mean it, they are sparse. They even have her overusing the mobile phone and her trying to sneak in calls, because that's never been done before.

There isn't much more for me to say before I get really personal about Sarah Jessica Parker's face, so I will stop here. Basically it is a shoddy film, made poorly and stuffed with cliches and predictable plot twists. The acting is as good as it can be, and it does have a pretty impressive cast, considering. It'll be out on DVD later in the year, but I reckon you should just wait for Channel 5 to air it; that's right, Channel 5...sorry SJP.

I Don't Know How She Does It - Trailer