He’s Just Not That Into You
In Cinemas Now

Chick flick or satire of the modern dating scene? This ensemble piece directed by Ken Kwapis features an array of familiar faces at every turn. Based on the best selling self-help guide which aimed to tell the blunt truth about the opposite sex, this movie follows on from where Sex and the City left off. With an all star cast headed by Jennifer Aniston, He’s Just Not That Into You is a spin on the dating protocol we’ve come to accept. Aiming to be unbiased to both genders, this film sells itself as more than a chick flick but unfortunately this is exactly what it turns out to be.

This surprise box office hit has a mildly intricate plot, involving multiple relationships and how they overlap. In many ways this movie is a 21st century rehash of the decadent 1990s hit Singles. First, let’s start with Aniston’s character, Beth, who is living for 7 years in apparent unwedded bliss to Neil (played by Ben Affleck). The only problem is that Beth isn’t feeling the love for cohabitation anymore and is fixated on why Neil is so against marriage. Her co-worker Janine (Jennifer Connelly) represents Team Marriage and is wed to her college sweetheart Ben, played by Bradley Cooper. Unfortunately, Ben’s chance meeting with sexy musician Anna (Scarlett Johannson) sets up a series of encounters where he just can’t help himself and his wandering hands. Meanwhile, Anna is having a “thing” with infatuated real estate agent Conor (Kevin Connolly) despite the fact they never get it on. Drew Barrymore plays Anna’s best friend who only dates on cyberspace and who is surrounded by a team of supportive men who happen to be gay. At the centre of all this lies Gigi, a blundering singleton who obsesses over every trivial detail of interaction with men and unwittingly believes them when they say they’ll call. Her knight in shining armour arrives in the form of Justin Long’s Alex, who tells her the secrets of the dating scene (in summary, men don’t care and women are stupid because they do). And thus the circle is completed.

While comparisons to Sex and The City are inevitable, sadly there is no man-eating Samantha to raise the stakes in this flick. Instead, all the characters are anaemic in their own way and the women in particular don’t even deserve to find a light at the end of the tunnel because of their cluelessness. Gigi, in particular, is so hapless and reeking of desperation that only the most insecure viewer could relate to her and end up rooting for her. Her inability to read signals from men extends to her inability to understand social interaction full stop, and inevitably you feel like shouting NO! at the cinema screen because of her antics. Ginnifer Goodwin does the best she can with such an inane character and, despite the ludicrous role, hers is one of the stand out turns in the movie. Scarlett Johansson appears to play the exact same character as she does in the much superior Vicky Cristina Barcelona, although her performance is consistent as always. Jennifer Connelly’s Janine is a Monica from Friends-style control freak who frankly pushes her husband into the arms of Johansson’s Anna and Connelly is clearly at home in such an excessive role. Meanwhile, on the masculine end of things, the men don’t fare much better. Kevin Connolly’s role of Conor is spark-free and he essentially is a lost puppy throughout as he aspires to getting the otherwise engaged Johansson into the sack. Affleck is the only male in the film to display any gusto, taking turns at being thoughtful, masculine and, of course, romantic. Although Jennifer Aniston may not be everyone’s top box office draw, she remains a watchable actress, especially when she sticks to her niche of roles like this one.

He’s Just Not That Into You fails to convey the witty, sardonic humour of its literary predecessor. Instead of telling the blunt truth that relationships are hard work and dating is overrated, we get central characters who are obsessed with getting men and getting hitched. Although it has received mixed reviews, the movie continues to be a success – partly due to the well-known cast but also because it is a light-hearted escape in the current climate. He’s Just Not That Into You is enjoyable despite how predictable it is and is really not the most dreadful movie you will see this year. If you hate rom-coms and chick flicks, steer clear. Otherwise, if brain porn is on the menu, you’ve come to the right place.

-Lisa Hughes