He's Just Not That Into You
Director: Ken Kwapis
Year Released: 2009
Rating: 1.5
Marie Claire on Screen. Incredibly safe, soft-minded and predictable adaptation of the girl-friendly book by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo about women trying to read men's 'signs' and apparently not comprehending the 'message.' Some of the "advice" and reasoning makes sense, and the best lines come from the Justin Long character, who may be observant but isn't smart enough to prevent himself from getting captured by the game (he and Gennifer Goodwin have some nice chemistry together ... the other 'couples' considerably less so). It simply has to end with everyone finding Everything In Its Right Place: either finding new people to Screw Up with or Ending Up alone and prepared to start over (Jennifer Connelly's character is way too complicated for a romantic comedy) - the gay community is there, too, but only as a sort of 'enlightened,' stereotypical chorus (they give advice, but their own woes are ignored). I have trouble realizing that women of reasonable charm experience difficulty getting dates, but that's the sort-of mind-block you get when you spend most of your Saturdays holding Peter Tscherkassky Marathons in your private screening room. Someone hold me.
