There’s a lot to like about the new romantic comedy “He’s Just Not That Into You.” The film features a powerhouse cast in a whirlwind of emotionally realistic stories. For as marketable and engaging as these actors were in their respective roles, they were no help to a script that gave attention to the wrong characters.
Although portrayed with perfection by Ginnifer Goodwin, the main narrator Gigi has such an annoying need to have a boyfriend that any gender would be running in the opposite direction.Her persistent dating tactics apparently aren’t enough to shoo away Alex (Justin Long), who feels he can provide her with a better approach.As her narrative is weaved with more engaging stories chronicling similar struggles in dating communication, it’s hard to tolerate the attention put on her.
Other stories feature more relatable situations. Jennifer Aniston portrays Beth who has dreamed of getting married her whole life. Instead she is stuck outside the bonds of matrimony in a relationship with a man (Ben Affleck), who is happy being a committed couple in love.Aniston does a beautiful job displaying her character’s emotions without becoming overbearing. Affleck is equally as powerful as the man of her dreams who exhibits a true love for Beth while simply having an untraditional approach to marriage.Their story came nowhere near to the amount of screen-time it deserved but still managed to provide the most memorable scenes in the film.
Some other memorable but poorly developed stories include an endearing Jennifer Connelly as a woman struggling to retain her marriage with a cheating husband (Bradley Cooper).Even Drew Barrymore gives some important laughs as a character trying to find assistance in the new world of online dating.Overall these actors did give audiences something to talk about, but it was at the expense of other unworthy characters.
“He’s Just Not That Into You” provides a unique look into the reasons why there are so many misinterpretations between the sexes. All of the performances were rich with believability and tense with their underlying emotions.While the film takes on an ambitious load of stories that are sure to satisfy many romantic appetites, there are others you just might not be that into.
Letter Grade: B-
Rated PG-13 for sexual content and brief strong language.
Runtime: 129 min.
Starring: Ginnifer Goodwin, Kevin Connolly, Scarlett Johansson, Bradley Cooper, Justin Long, Ben Affleck, Jennifer Connelly, Jennifer Aniston and Drew Barrymore.
Directed by Ken Kwapis.
