He’s Just Not That Into You Review
A lot of romantic comedies are neither funny or romantic. Movies like 27 Dresses and Bride Wars are unfunny, belabored, arguably a step back for feminists, and chock full of contrived situations that don’t register as real.
He’s Just Not That Into You is none of those things. It’s filled with recognizable real-life situations and people. It’s definitely romantic, and not in a schmaltzy nonsense way either. In short, it’s a pretty decent movie, which is like hitting a home run these days with a romantic comedy.
The ensemble cast and the plotlines connecting all of them are way too large for me to painstakingly go through each one, so I will point out some highlights.
Justin Long (probably best known still as that guy from the Mac ads) is typically saddled with lovable loser roles, so it was really nice to see him play a romantic lead and a ladies’ man one at that. He performs it about as well as you could ask, which is generally what he has done in his career (often with far worse roles). He is believable as a suave know-it-all guy and as usual has a knack for delivering his lines with a sort of gentle sarcasm that is winning.
It’s also really nice to see Ben Affleck continue his quiet career resurrection. Once again, as he did acting in Hollywoodland and directing Gone Baby Gone Affleck proves he’s not just some schmuck who was friends with Matt Damon and dated J. Lo. The guy can act, and he is very winning underplaying as a nice guy boyfriend who doesn’t believe in the institution of marriage.
Also worth commenting on is Ginnifer Goodwin as Gigi, a character who is totally needy, obsessive, stalkerish and in short, creepy. But Goodwin plays it off with such an anxious yet bubbly nature the character is totally likeable.
Bottom line here is this is a movie that puts realistic characters in recognizable situations. It gets us to care not through cheap histrionics or overt manipulation but through the marriage of understandable dilemmas and believable choices. The drama works, we buy into it.
It’s also nice to see the film doesn’t spout its own set of rules as the absolute truth, even contradicting its own love “rules” at some points.
Greg Behrendt wrote the book? Really?
If like me, you knew Behrendt from his very funny standup, this comes as a bit of a surprise. He even makes a cameo in the film.
Scarlett Johansson is now officially typecast as the homewrecker.
In some form or another Scarlett Johansson has been the “other woman” in Match Point, The Prestige, The Other Boleyn Girl and Vicky Cristina Barcelona. Wow. Scarlett is going to star next in a movie called, That Bitch: Scarlett Johannson Stole My Man (not really).
This Movie Is Not Just For Women
Like another huge ensemble love-a-thon (Love Actually), this film is totally entertaining and engaging to watch even if you’re a man. By no means is it just for women, like a Bride Wars.
-Dan Benamor