He's Just Not That Into You

What it's about:

Based on the wildly popular bestseller from Sex and the City writers Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo, He's Just Not That Into You tells the stories of a group of interconnected, Baltimore-based twenty- and thirty-somethings as they navigate their various relationships from the shallow end of the dating pool through the deep, murky waters of married life, trying to read the signs of the opposite sex...


What we thought of it:

Let's just start off by being brutally honest and dispel any expectations you may have about this movie. It is not a self-help movie that is going to radically change your life, and yes, it is a soppy romantic chick-flick. In essence, He's Just Not That Into You is a candy-coated, dipped in chocolate, covered in honey version of the self-help book of the same name.

Something happened at the turn of the century, women and men either stopped understanding each other completely or they only just realised that they never did in the first place. And by "they" I mean women. Series like Sex in the City, where the idea for the book originated from, only reaffirmed the differences between men and women.

No need to get philosophical about it, but women have come to learn so much more about themselves in the five years since the book was published, so the dilemmas faced by the characters in He's Just Not That Into You: The Movie feel a bit out-dated. It's like buying your first pair of skinny jeans just as wide-legs become the latest fashion trend. Women are becoming more content with being single and less obsessed with finding a husband. So watch out, the sequel may be entitled – He's Not That Into Me But I Don't Care.

The main plot is between Alex (Justin Long) and Gigi (Ginnifer Goodwin). Our hero and heroine are entertaining and charming and embody everything chick-flick couples should. Goodwin is remarkable; you almost forget she also acts in more serious roles. Long proves that while goofy-looking, he is more than just the guy in the Apple adverts; he's also a competent romantic lead.

Jennifer Aniston and Ben Affleck are the real stars of the film, and if Ben ever feels the need to shag another Jennifer, well… just kidding! Ben and Jen play Neil and Beth, a happily unmarried couple whose bond is shaken when the marriage question is brought up, emphasising the idea held by most men that all women want relationships to result in marriage. Not true.

Jennifer Connelly and Bradley Cooper are the odd, unhappily married couple. Connelly is a great actress; she manages to be beautiful and extremely annoying and unlikable all at once. Even with a cheating husband, you can't help but loathe her and feel pity for him.

Scarlett Johansson plays Anna, the fox involved with a married man. She is seemingly devoid of depth, but as the story develops, Anna becomes one of the more complex and  appealing characters. And the added dysfunction of a "friend with benefits" scenario, which she finds herself in with Conor (Kevin Connolly), adds a hint of realism to an otherwise fairytale-like film.

Don't be fooled by its self-assured title. He's Just Not That Into You is as polished a romantic comedy as all the rest - and all fairytales have happy endings.