If it’s early February that means there has to be at least one or two chick flicks in wide release, and this year is no exception.
He’s Just Not That Into You, based on the self-help book by the same name, follows the love lives of nine men and women living in Baltimore, all of whom are portrayed by an ensemble cast, including Ben Affleck (Hollywoodland), Jennifer Aniston (Marley & Me), Drew Barrymore (Music & Lyrics), Jennifer Connelly (The Day the Earth Stood Still), Kevin Connolly (“Entourage”), Bradley Cooper (Wedding Crashers), Ginnifer Goodwin (“Big Love”), Scarlett Johansson (VickyCristinaBarcelona) and Justin Long (Live Free or Die Hard).
The movie, running well over two hours, follows the lives of these nine people in several interconnecting plotlines. The problem? Trying to fit so much into a limited amount of time leaves each storyline somewhat neglected, and the characters are all reduced to stereotypes to fill in the gaps.
For example, there is the guy who cannot commit to his girlfriend, another who cheats on his wife and a neurotic girl who can’t seem to find a boyfriend. If the film were to expand on all the plots, however, the end result might have been a film with a Titanic length running time, absurd for a romantic comedy.
These issues aside, He’s Just Not That Into You is a cut above the typical romantic comedy. There are several funny moments, and the movie flows well from plotline to plotline with segments scattered throughout of interviews with people talking about relationships. Most importantly, people who see this movie can easily relate to it. Each character is surprisingly realistic, and viewers will be able to compare the people on screen to their friends or even themselves. All of the situations are generic examples of difficulties many encounter in the world of relationships.
The movie also refuses to end with a happy ending for all of the characters, though some certainly end with the typical storybook clichés. The rest are forced to settle with something short of love and happiness and move forward in their lives. Expecting nine people all to end up in a peachy situation is an unreasonable and unrealistic expectation, and the writers were smart to avoid it. This might backfire for couples that think it’s a good date movie to see on Valentine’s Day-they may find themselves questioning their relationship.
Director Ken Kwapis does a decent job directing a film full of multiple stories and big name talents. His best work has come from directing episodes of “The Office,” and this movie marks a big improvement over his last theatrical endeavor, 2007’s forgettable Robin Williams-comedy License to Wed.
The cast does a great job with the material, delivering believable and humorous performances almost all around.
Though the leading ladies are, as a whole, much more famous than the four main male leads, it’s perhaps the least well-known of the bunch, Ginnifer Goodwin, who steals the show. Her character, Gigi, gets the most screen time and Goodwin is pitch perfect as a girl who struggles to understand the opposite sex and tries a little too hard to land in a relationship.
Overall, He’s Just Not That Into You succeeds in being superior to most chick flicks, even if it still stays pretty close to the romantic cliches audiences are used to seeing in these types of movies.
With this movie’s surprising success, we might want to brace ourselves for a whole slew of movies based on self-help books. Look for Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Movie or The Secret: A Martin Scorsese Film, coming soon to a theater near you.
