You’ll know it when you see it. Many of the exteriors in “How Do You Know” were filmed in the Washington area. But only the sequence shot at Nationals Park will be instantly recognizable to locals. Likewise, there’s little about the slow romantic comedy that makes it recognizable as a movie from acclaimed writer-director James L. Brooks.
To his credit, Brooks shows off our town’s regular streets and neighborhoods without having to resort to national monuments or political plotlines to prove the location. In addition, the filmmaker behind modern classics “Terms of Endearment,” “Broadcast News” and “As Good As it Gets” once again includes Hollywood monument Jack Nicholson in his mix. But this time, despite an obvious intention to elevate popcorn entertainment with smarts, Brooks’ dialogue-rich combination of sardonic comedy, love story and social observation just doesn’t work.
