Ginnifer Goodwin, from left, Jennifer Aniston and Jennifer Connelly star in New Line Cinema's romantic comedy "He's Just Not That Into You" (MCT Campus).
Are you the exception? Or are you the rule?
Through life there are unspoken rules that both men and women follow. Many are aware of such rules and the basis of their relationships lie in such rules. The movie “He’s Just Not That Into You” shines a humorous light on such rule-based relationships.
Based on the bestselling self-help book from “Sex and the City” writers Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo, “He’s Just Not That Into You” tells the story of a diverse group of men and women living in Baltimore who try to read the sugarcoated signals of the opposite sex, while trying to find that glimmer of hope that we are the exception to the no-exceptions rule.
Beth (Jennifer Aniston) wonders when it will finally be her turn to walk down the aisle with her long-term boyfriend, Neil (Ben Affleck), who shows no remote interest in getting married anytime soon. Gigi (Gennifer Goodwin) hopelessly searches for that one and in turn meets Alex (Justin Long), who gives her the advice she needs through each leap and bound.
Janine (Jennifer Connelly) has been with Ben (Bradley Cooper) since college and they have seemingly fallen into the happy married life until Ben meets Anna (Scarlett Johansson) at a grocery store. Ben befriends Anna in hopes of helping jump-start her music career, but the friendship may just be more than that. Conor (Kevin Connolly) is Anna’s reserve boyfriend who is always there for support. He hopes to be more while she has no interest in being anything than just friends. Mary (Drew Barrymore) keeps meeting what appear to be charmingly nice guys through Myspace but finds out differently.
The film showcases an all-star cast, including Kris Kristofferson (“Dreamer: Inspired by a True Story”) as Ken, and “He’s Just Not That Into You” definitely does not follow in the footsteps of those that are dubbed chick flicks. It’s brutally honest in both words and actions. It stands out because a girl can see herself in each and every one of the female cast members. One character sits by the phone waiting for the call that never comes. That is a moment each and every woman dreads. It allows the viewer to see themselves in a different perspective take a step back and watch as if their own lives were on the movie screen.
This comedy flows smoothly for the most part, except for a few very obvious chapter changes, when a “rule” would flash on the screen. The guys still might not think this is a must-see, but for the rest, it is.
