He’s Just Not That Into You 2.5/5 Starring Ben Affleck, Jennifer Aniston, Drew Barrymore, Jennifer Connelly ‘amp; Scarlett Johansson Directed by Ken Kwapis Rated PG-13
Based on the New York Times bestselling novel by ‘Sex and the City” scribes Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo, the cotton-candy comedy ‘He’s Just Not That Into You’ follows the twists and turns of celebrity subplots in fractured, self-help episodes. Featuring a chemistry-driven ensemble cast of well-coiffed favorites (much like 2003’s ‘Love Actually’), the bouquet of intertwined affairs plucks every flower from the garden, showcasing the perennial relationship rituals for every 20- and 30-something imaginable ‘mdash; gay, straight, single or taken.
Strategically set to open the weekend before Valentine’s Day, the film decks antiquated laws of dating and their recent technological fine-tuning. ‘Into You’ showcases modern society as a perpetually plugged-in mass, turned on and available 24/7.’ The cell phone must be on before, during and after sex, and gone are the old-fashioned methods of romantic allure. As the anxious Mary (Drew Barrymore) aptly confesses, ‘If I want to make myself more attractive to the opposite sex, I don’t get a haircut. I update my profile.’ The words are familiar to anyone who’s ever flirted face-to-Facebook.
Nonetheless, the root of all romantic dilemma remains predictable as ever: How can we’ unearth the confounding mysteries of the opposite sex?
Directed by Ken Kwapis and adapted by Abby Kohn and Marc Silverstein, ‘Into You’ is clearly a man’s fantasy prescription for the crazed woman in his life. Why didn’t he call me back? Should I call him back? What should I do? I’m so helpless! The cries of distress are all answered with cheesy advice, as the man-rules of singlehood are delineated in Excel-spreadsheet order.
Tellingly enough, any offbeat relationship’s unlikely success is an ‘exception’ to these binding rules. And ultimately, viewers realize every piece of misplaced advice contradicts itself halfway through ‘mdash; which, thankfully, might renew your faith in humanity.
While stereotyping women as neurotic, obsessive and desperate might seem like a bad idea (isn’t this a chick flick?), the film balances the act by portraying men as selfishly stoic assholes. Geared toward freshly married women or those desperately looking for their own prince charming, the movie’s ensemble of archetypes is relatable in its cartnoonish predictability. There’s the jealous wife, the rueful husband, the girl who has every beautiful male at her fingertips ‘mdash; just not one who’s actually straight.
What’s more, they talk! The bobble-heads come alive with witty repartee, perfectly timed to summon (canned) laughter from the audience. Glossing over the complete emotional spectrum, the snappy screenplay gives viewers a chance to feel each character’s comedic extremes. As a romantic comedy that actually holds true to the comedy part of its bargain, ‘Into You’ may not be Woody-Allen compelling ‘mdash; but it’s a whole lot better than the usual crap gushed from sugary adaptations (i.e. ‘Sex and the City,’ the movie).