You make complicated look appealing”, a business partner tells Kate Reddy, the ever-frazzled protagonist of I Don’t Know How She Does It. The first half of this statement is true in regards to the film, as it takes compelling comedic actors and squanders them on a hackneyed plot. The result is far from appealing though.

The story reads like a Glamour article: Kate is torn between motherhood and her career. The film is equally torn; director Douglas McGrath knows the plot should have been left in the 1980s, so he uses contemporary TV tropes to bring it up-to-date. The first of these is Sarah Jessica Parker, whose Kate wears clothing with her children’s spit-up on it instead of Carrie Bradshaw’s designer, but is otherwise the same character. Her musings on intimidating homemakers narrate the film and are almost as vapid as what Carrie should do with Mr Big. Speaking of Big, Pierce Brosnan looms over the film as Kate’s new associate and flirtation at her financial firm. They charm each other throughout, culminating in the film’s best scene, a bowling date where the actors appear to be enjoying themselves for once. Yes, bowling is the highlight, not the juggling working-mom the film promises.

Instead McGrath uses the irritating talk-to-camera method to convey how everyone perceives Kate (as if this matters more than her actual ability to raise two children and her salary). This must be the only way to pack in the cast that contains every comedy TV star from the last 50 years: Seth Meyers, Olivia Munn, Kelsey Grammer and Jane Curtin. The only one who has something to say on gender politics is Christina Hendricks' best friend character, which proves she should be the film’s star instead.

Nevertheless, the actors do their best to be witty despite the presentation of their jokes. Kate’s amiable husband (played by a dishevelled Greg Kinnear) helps ground her and the film. Their tender family moments matter more than Kate’s latest working girl gaffe. However, you’d still be better off watching SATC reruns.