Não Sei Como Ela Consegue

Honestly, we kind of enjoyed this but by the end we were both agreed that this was good for TV but not really up to film standards - our conclusion was that SJP just doesn't have the presence to pull this off - she's a good ensemble actress, but on her own, as a star, carrying a film? We just couldn't make that leap.

The script has some nice wry observations on marriage, career, and parenting but all-in-all this needs more wit and spark, more oomph. Most of the comedy came from the idea of sexual tension between SJP and Brosnan, and that's just cheap laughs.

This film is aimed firmly at women over 30 who either have to, want to, or who wish they didn't have to juggle children, career, and life. It is wryly amusing and observant occasionally, but there should be lots and lots more of that, the paucity of observation and the safe boundaries means it fails to create anything other than a very safe film that is mostly trite.

While it is admirable for having good strong female characterizations it fails really to go anywhere with it, and above all, SJP just does little to convince us that she's a star vehicle.

All in all, OK with a glass of chardonnay, pretty difficult without....

Kate Reddy lives a busy life. She is a high-rising finance executive and a mother of two young children. She is often away from home, causing family strains and whatnot. What happens when Kate suddenly gets a big assignment, that requires her to stay away from home for more than two months?

To be honest, I was at a struggle to write a summary for this movie. I couldn't think. Words couldn't come to me. This movie didn't do anything for me. The movie played for 80+ minutes, but there was no real progression in its story line. Nothing happened.. Really. After the movie ended, I wondered what exactly was it that the directors wanted to show to its audience.

I don't recommend watching this movie, unless you're looking for a time waster.. If that's the case, go ahead and rent this movie.

Viewed on: November 29, 2011

This film is about the life of a mother of two young children, who also holds an important position at an investment firm.

"I Don't Know How She Does It" tells the story of a working mother in a fun and lighthearted way. There is so much on her plate, and she struggles to balance between work and home. The film is fluffy and cheerful, augmented by its captions and narrations during still motion. The jokes are funny but a little far in between. The film could also benefit by increasing the emotional portrayal of Kate's lack of bonding with her children. Still, "I Don't Know How She Does It" is a fun film, just don't take it too seriously. Working mothers would connect with this film the most, but other people can still find it enjoyable and fun.

Kate Reddy (Sarah Jessica Parker) is a successful business woman living in Boston with her husband Richard (Greg Kinnear) and their two children Emily (Emma Rayne Lyle) and Ben (Julius and Theodore Goldberg). Kate is an expert at juggling her marriage, motherhood and career.

Kate works at the Boston branch of an investment firm based in New York City. She has worked hard and has earned the respect of her co-workers. She submitted a proposal which the company felt had merit and Kate was tasked with working along side of Jack Abelhammer (Pierce Brosnan) to refine the proposal for presentation to the CEO of the company. A great opportunity for Kate but added strain to her already stretched thin relationship with Richard. Richard is involved in his own business and has just been offered a great opportunity himself.

The movie is peppered with insights from the various characters which explain the whys and wherefores of Kate's behavior.

Pierce Brosnan does a very good job of portraying the driven businessman who has had a personal tragedy early in life and work has become his obsession. His loneliness shows through his business exterior and even though we know he is falling for Kate, he keeps the relationship purely professional.

The film has not received very favorable reviews - 3.7 out of 10 on IMDb and only a 20% positive rating from Rotten Tomatoes. I disagree with this. I found this film to be entertaining and at times touching - especially for those of us who have ever missed the school play or anything concerning our children because of work related obligations. True - the film is not Oscar worthy and is pretty much a formula movie with the moral of the story being family should come first....but it has many redeeming qualities and that proverbial happy ending.

This movie is worth an afternoon trip to the theater (Matinee Price).

The paper-thin plot of this movie revolves around working mother Kate, juggling her way through life. It sounds dull and more appropriate for a sit-com – and definitely would be. I read that the script is based on a novel, which I am determined to ignore, especially after having seen the movie.

Kate is played by SJP, an actress who could easily be described as the female Tom Hanks – albeit slightly less talented. Her likability is enormous, but unfortunately her choice of roles very limited; in her repertoire there are only comedies, most of them remarkable failures at the box office. Her sidekicks in this movie are Greg Kinnear and Pierce Brosnan, two good actors with a wider range, who play respectively her husband and a business associate. One wishes there was more of them on screen. Unfortunately we get plenty of SJP and of her friend played by Christina Hendricks. It could have been any other actress playing second fiddle to SJP, as poor Christina is used only to enunciate a string of questionable statements.

For a comedy there are very few laughers. Actually, none at all from me. The punch lines sounded tired and unfunny and the "real life" situations abused and stale: what about an envious colleague who would like to steal your glory? Or a supportive best friend with a lousy love life? Not to mention the neglected husband. All seen in a million other comedies, most of them better than this one.

The problem with this, and an increasingly larger number of movies, is that they are targeted to a very restricted public. This one is targeted strictly to 1) working mothers with young children, and 2) die-hard fans of SJP. I doubt anybody else will find it even mildly amusing, as it does not work at all as a comedy. Indeed, in the cinema where I saw it, even if the audience was mostly female, only a woman in her mid-thirties laughed out loud.