He's Just Not That Into You

Watching on Wednesdays: He's Just Not That Into You

Title: He's  Just Not That Into You
Type: Movie
Age Group: Older Teens +
Release Year: 2009
My Rating: 4/5

Gigi (Ginnifer Goodwin) has bad luck in finding love. It seems like every man she comes in contact with is never interested on going any further with her within the relationship.

Beth (Jennifer Aniston) is frustrated that her boyfriend, Neil (Ben Affleck), is against the idea of marriage. Will they be able to work out their relationship when he refuses to marry?

Ben (Bradley Cooper) unexpectedly meets a gorgeous singer/yoga instructor, Anna (Scarlett Johansson). They both like each other very much. However, Ben is married to Janine (Jennifer Connelly). Will he leave his wife for Anna?

He's Just Not That Into You is about relationships and love through different perspectives. Other stars include Justin Long, Drew Barrymore and Kevin Connolly.

It took me awhile to sit down and watch this movie because I am not a fan of multi-plots movies. I always prefer watching a chick flick based on two characters because I find it much better.  However, He's Just Not That Into You is a sweet film that romantics will enjoy.

I honestly found Gigi to be one of the most annoying movie female characters ever. She is absolutely clingy and she thinks that ever guy she meets is "the one". Or at least she hopes he is and sticks by her phone like mad, praying that he would call back. She is so into the idea of a relationship that it makes her irritating to watch on screen.

My favourite character would have to be Alex, acted by Justin Long. He is a cool guy who is confident with his answers. Gigi keeps coming to him for advice and although I'm not an expert in relationships, it seems like he is pretty right with the things he says. He is the type of guy that you would love to have as a friend, certain and fun at the same time.

Overall, I think He's Just Not That Into You would be a great movie for an all-girls' sleepover. It would be something that a girl and her female friends would have a lot of comment about. If not, watching it with a partner works too because there could be issues one would like to raise and this movie would be a perfect way to slip it in the conversation.

Last updated: 2010-04-09 12:36:03 by user01

He's Just Not That Into You

I wasn't sure at first, if I was going to include this movie on this list, because in some way it resembles the experience I had when I watched "Signs" for the first time in the theater, shaking my head at the apparent nonsense I had paid to watch, until everything finally started making sense during the last 10 minutes or so of the film.

The first and major part of "He's Just Not That Into You" is pretty much sheer, painful agony. Partly, because it's so true. Human beings are really that rotten, that motivated by cliches and Hollywood indoctrinations, and for the larger part of all that agony, you simply have to agree and understand why Jesus compared this mating game to the way things were before the days of Noah, and you come to the conclusion that our just punishment would be another flood to wipe us off the face of the earth.

But then that's where grace comes along, and plays the sweetest trick on us and gives us just what we don't deserve in spite of ourselves; and contrary to all natural expectations and calculations, love will come to you, pretty much like that wind that bloweth where it listeth, and canst not tell from whence it cometh or whither it goeth.

All in all, suffice it to say that there is a lesson to be learned from this movie, even if in a little bit of a painful way... that way it hurts when we discover a bunch of awful truth about ourselves, and it makes you feel like the only thing we'd deserve is hell, while all along Salvation and Heaven are just waiting around the corner.

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Recommendations: The Matrix , Fratello sole, sorella luna , The Visual Bible: The Gospel of John

There IS no spoon!

Last updated: 2010-03-09 09:33:33 by user05

He's Just Not That Into You

I give the film: 2.5/5

Although I'm not that into this movie, I was interested 'cos of dear Jennifer Aniston! Who, I must say, is starting to look her age (40).. =x

And of course, the stellar cast which includes Scarlett Johansson, Justin Long, Jennifer Connely, Ben Affleck, and the tragically under-used Drew Barrymore (but doesn't matter, she's probably more busy as executive producer for the film).

It is definitely interesting to watch the ensemble explore the perks and quirks of modern relationships, albeit sometimes presented in a rather cliched way.

Two notes to add, though:
1) Despite having little attention throughout the movie, Drew Barrymore scored the funniest scene, which, incidentally, can be seen in the trailer.
2) Scarlett Johansson has got to stop acting the same husband-snatching, seductive, veluptuous (this one is not her fault) and aspiring-artiste role! Her character here is the exact replica of Vicky Cristina Barcelona's.

Aside from those two gribes that I have, it's a funny and sweet movie all in all.

Wilson Ng - http://wilsoniscurious.blogspot.com/

Last updated: 2010-03-14 04:22:54 by wilsoniscurious

HE'S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU (2009)

BOTTOM LINE: Despite an all-star cast and a strong premise, “He’s Just Not That Into You” has too many characters and stories to fit in to its 2-hour running time, allowing only for good thematic punctuation rather than well-rounded characterisation and story-telling.

THE GOOD: The previews for this film gave off the impression of yet another generic romantic comedy but it was a pleasant surprise to discover that this film is not another tirade of boy meets girl and everyone lives happily ever after. “He’s Just Not That Into You” lays the more realistic theme on the table that there are no rules in the dating world, and every individual and/or couple will end up creating their own story. Through the all-star cast we are treated to how this theme plays out as each of the characters tries to rationalise what is going in with their interactions with the opposite sex, not realising that the apparent certainty in the “rules” is all a bad ruse that exists solely to comfort people when they should be just following their instincts. The best story line in the film belongs to Gigi (Ginnifer Goodwin) and Alex (Justin Long). In this unlikely scenario, Gigi gets dating advice from Alex in a number of humorous exchanges, before an unexpected relationship develops between them. The love triangle story of Janine (Jennifer Connolly), Ben (Bradley Cooper) and Anna (Scarlet Johansson) is perhaps the strongest thematically, particularly with the character of Ben; as played by Bradley Cooper, he is a spineless liar who plays himself as a victim of his situation, thereby putting Janine and Anna through hell before deservedly ending up alone and pathetic. The story of Beth (Jennifer Aniston) and Neil (Ben Affleck) is good, exploring the territory of what marriage means to both a man and a woman. All in all, the film covers a lot of ground and scenarios in the dating/relationship world that should resonate with the wider audience.

THE BAD: The main issue lies in the fact that there are too many characters and stories. As a result, each character and story is not given enough time to develop, leaving only broad sweeping generalisations in their wake. Each story has its own point, but in the end, that’s all it is; a dramatic point without any exploration or depth. Cutting out two of the storylines and focusing on the better ones would have made this a very strong film, particularly as the cast do an excellent job of navigating the awkwardness and humour of each scene. The Mary (Drew Barrymore) sequences, although good in highlighting how technology is a factor in relationship communication these days, are by and large superfluous, as is anything to do with Conor (Kevin Connolly), who pines for Anna and in the end is nicely hooked up with Mary. In the end, “He’s Just Not That Into You” plays like a relationship handbook containing a series of great statements, but nothing cohesive.

RATING: 6.5/10

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Todd Murphy <br />
http://www.allaboutmovies.net

He's Just Not That Into You

February is probably my least favorite month of the year. It is the time when movie studios are caught in the middle of their release schedules. Their Oscar nominees have all hit theaters back in December, and they have to wait a few more months until they could release their blockbusters. So February is the time where movie studios dump off their below average work and hope that their garbage smells better than everyone else's. This means we get movies like The Pink Panther 2, another Friday the 13th, and a whole mess of lousy romantic comedies. Every now and then you do see a genuinely good film in February, such as last year's surprisingly good romantic comedy Definitely, Maybe. I should have known it would be too much to ask for consecutive February's with smart, original films with actual entertainment value to boot. He's Just Not That Into You, based on the popular self-help book by Greg Behrendt, is original but noticably ostentatious and desperately lacking the ability to keep my attention for more than four minutes at a time.

The diabolically intricate plot mostly revolves around Gigi (Ginnifer Goodwin), a certified loser in love who can't seem to read the signals that men give her. She looks to her co-worker friends for help but all they can offer are the same meaningless pieces of advice that have become commonplace in our society. But irony lies in the fact that Gigi doesn't know that these friends are the worst possible candidates for help, because they are all having relationship issues themselves. Beth (Jennifer Aniston) has been dating Neil (Ben Affleck) for seven years and still doesn't have a ring on her finger. Janine (Jennifer Connelly) thinks she is in a pleasant marriage but is unaware that her husband Ben (Bradley Cooper) is cheating on her with Anna (Scarlett Johansson), a yoga instructor that he met at a convenience store. But oh no, the plot doesn't stop there. Anna is also teasing Conor (Kevin Connolly), who is trying desperately to convince her that he is the man for her. Meanwhile, Conor is trying to build a a reputation as a good real estate agent by working with Mary (Drew Barrymore) (who I imagine is an advertising agent, although the movie never specifies), who looks for love on internet dating sites and ultimately comes up with nothing. So in this mess (and that really is the only word to describe it), Gigi does manage to find one person that she can talk to and gain helpful advice from. Conor's friend Alex (Justin Long), a certified player that doesn't make it a habit to become attached to any one girl. He's Just Not That Into You tries desperately to be intelligent, but instead is nothing more than a jumbled Rubick's Cube with missing colors.

With such a diverse ensemble and a story that covers all ends of the relationship spectrum, the real charm in He's Just Not That Into You probably should have been bred from the fact that it is highly relatable. The events that take place in the film are, for once, actual every day occurrences! How many romantic comedies have you seen with a ridiculous storyline that makes you bury your head in your hand because it is trying way too hard. It's never just two people who may or may not like each other and so the game of cat and mouse begins. It's always stupid things like Made Of Honor or 27 Dresses or some Hugh Grant movie. But the Gigi character in He's Just Not That Into You is one that I've seen so many times. Not in movies, but in reality! Dating is a tough game to play, and some people just don't get the hang of it. Ginnifer Goodwin as Gigi is but one of the few performances I found to be genuine and enjoyable. Her adorable naivety speaks so much to the main core of the film, which is that nobody really knows what the hell is going to happen. She also exudes an unmistakable energy with co-star Justin Long, the bartender that doubles as her relationship counselor. Long is charming and shows a great deal of maturity in his role. Since he's most known for his roles in Accepted and Dodgeball, it is still in the mind of a movie-goer that he is a young, lovable goofball. Long overcomes this stereotype with ease. And women take notice, everything that Long says in this movie is the absolute truth. Trust me.

Despite some very good performances, He's Just Not That Into You falls into every trap set by a romantic comedy, even with it's unique idea. I have not read the book, but if it progresses the same way the movie does, I'm glad I didn't read it. Screenwriters Marc Silverstein and Abby Kohn show no aptitude in their field and fail to capitalize on the rare opportunity of having an original plot. No wonder this is their first movie they've written since Never Been Kissed back in 1999. With so many different things happening in a script, you would imagine something could happen that would really surprise a viewer. This is never the case, as I was able to decide what was going to happen five minutes before the characters in the movie did. Director Ken Kwapis does not help the matter. He was unable to keep the convoluted plot together and made He's Just Not That Into You verily unwatchable. He should have called Christopher Nolan for help, he's a master at keeping a movie in order. Kwapis has directed multiple episodes of many television shows like "The Office", and has been in charge of disastrous movies like License To Wed and Dunston Checks In (although I must say the latter is a tiny bit of a guilty pleasure of mine. I know it's awful, but cmon, its an orangutan). Given that record, he should stay with his television career and leave directing movies to someone else.

My feelings on He's Just Not That Into You are clearly split down the middle. On one hand, it has some very entertaining performances that aren't what you would typically see in a romantic comedy. The casting director did a magnificent job finding the people that would bring these roles to life. It makes sense that Kevin Connolly, the boyish looking man from "Entourage" would be the guy taken for a ride by an unfaithful girlfriend, reasonably played by Scarlett Johansson. The ending, however cliche and obvious, succeeds in being heart-felt and tender, even making me crack a smile. Briefly. Don't let my girlfriend tell you anything otherwise. But then on the other hand, the pace is unbearable and the writing is clumsy and hackneyed. Not to mention it is half an hour too long. If you are a woman, you will find lots to love about He's Just Not That Into You. If you are a man, you'll just have to take comfort in knowing that you are doing something nice for your girlfriend. If you are a man, and you are seeing this movie just for yourself, I am going to have to deduct 3 man cards from you. My rating (5/10)