Reel Views: I don't know why she keeps trying

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I Don't Know How She Does It (2011)

Sarah Jessica Parker was born to play the role of Carrie Bradshaw, and it has become excruciatingly clear that when she tries to break away from that into the realm of romantic comedies, she falls flat.

In her latest disaster of a romcom, I Don't Know How She Does It, Parker plays Kate, an ambitious, high-powered working mother who tries to do it all. Kate struggles to balance her busy work schedule, which involves a lot of out-of-town business trips, with her two kids, her husband and her social life. The result is a series of cheesy, sappy and zany antics that have Kate holding on by the skin of her teeth to be the super-mom everyone thinks she is. Along the way she must deal with vicious male co-workers trying to take her job, one boss who doesn't believe in her and another who is falling in love with her, and a husband who feels like he is second place to her career.

The cast of I Don't Know How She Does It is thoroughly all-star, comprised of big names and bigger talents that are wasted in this particular flick. Parker of course plays the lead Kate. Perhaps it's because Sex and the City is so engrained in the social consciousness of today's world, but Parker just can't play a working mother convincingly. Backing Parker up as her husband Richard is Greg Kinnear, who has the proven ability to be great in romantic comedies, however this movie just doesn't do his talents any justice.

Kelsey Grammer plays the role of Clark Cooper, Kate's boss, and his performance is intelligent, sophisticated and entertaining as always. Pierce Brosnan plays another of Kate's bosses who is majorly sweet on her. The sexual tension between these two on screen is palpable, and Brosnan's rugged sex appeal is perhaps the highlight of the film for female viewers. Christina Hendricks busts out of the '60s era and gets as far from her Mad Men character as she can; she plays Kate's confidante and fellow working mother.

The real highlight of the film comes from Olivia Munn's somewhat minor but thoroughly hilarious role of Momo, Kate's coworker. Munn proves that no matter what role she is thrown into, her charm, comedic timing and geeky cuteness shine through.

There are so many things wrong with this flick it's difficult to known where to begin. The storyline is beyond tired and overdone, and the over-acting from Parker coupled with the immeasurable talents of Kinnear and Grammer gives the film a jarring and deeply unsettling effect. The subject matter of the film is another of its particularly weak points; the idea of a working mother may be realistic, but the situations in which the main character finds herself are constantly impossible to relate to.

Overall, I Don't Know How She Does It is nothing impressive. It is absolutely worth missing.

Rating: 1 out of 5 stars