Monday, February 16, 2009

Review: ‘He’s Just Not That Into You’

Review: ‘He’s Just Not That Into You’

With a cast of ‘A-Listers’ that includes the likes of Jennifer Aniston, Jennifer Connolly, Scarlett Johansson, Drew Barrymore, Bradley Cooper and Ben Affleck (although can we seriously still say that Affleck is a ‘A-Lister’?) – I went into this film with some pretty high expectations. Within about the first fifteen minutes I realized I was in for a two hour episode of the Love Boat.

Don’t get me wrong – it was not an altogether painful two hours – I was a fan of the Love Boat! Predictable – contrite and often not that funny; the best parts of the film involve Aniston, who is always engaging in everything she does and does carry this film even making Affleck seem like a good actor.

Beth (Aniston) is in a seven year relationship with Neil (Affleck); Neil does not believe in marriage, yet Beth wants to be married. Janine (Connolly) suspects her husband Ben (Cooper) is losing interest in her, so attempts to renovate their house with him in a vain attempt to renovate their life. Gigi (Ginnifer Goodwin) involves herself with a long line of jerks that she thinks she is in love with and stalks like a psycho; not quite Glenn Close Fatal Attraction crazy, but crazy enough to drive the guys away. She is befriended by Alex (Justin Long) a womanizing club manager who advises Gigi all about guys and has no apparent interest in her.

So far – these three stories would be enough to fill up an entire season of Love Boat – but no, the writers, Abby Kohn and Marc Silverstein, along with director Ken Kwapis decide they need to drag this out just a bit farther and throw in two more story arcs!

In walks in Anna (Johansson), a singer who runs into Ben at the grocery store and proceeds to chase him down with the hope of breaking up the marriage because this may be her shot at ‘true love’. Then there is Anna’s friend Mary (Barrymore) who is dating via Facebook, MySpace and texting, never actually meeting the guys in person. Whew!

Oh wait! I forgot – we also have the real estate agent, Conor (Kevin Connelly)! Kevin’s existence is to pine for Anna and hang around for a booty call when she requires it. Kevin is so superficial that he actually ‘dresses gay’ in order to sell more homes.

In the end, the film, like a Love Boat episode draws the same tired conclusions: men are insensitive dolts; women can be crazed stalkers in the pursuit of men; until that is, true love conquers all.

Two and a half stars

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