Review: He's Just Not That Into You

Feb 6 2009 by Aranda Garrard, The Journal

MEN are not from Mars, women are not from Venus, and contrary to what John Gray’s global bestseller might claim, there is no simple solution to getting what you want in relationships.

Based on the book by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo, this film is a drama-comedy about the affairs of the heart of myriad 20-and 30-somethings in Baltimore.

The characters counsel one another on the pitfalls of mating and dating but, amid the tears, humiliation and occasional declaration of undying affection, one thing is clear.

Men and women are equally clueless when it comes to making pretty ripples in the dating pool.

The screenwriters cut back and forth between the interconnected storylines, focusing in part on Mary (Drew Barrymore), who has an enviable array of caring men around her.

Alas, they are all gay and Mary is bewildered by the reliance on the internet to forge connections.

“If I want to make myself more attractive to the opposite sex, I don’t go get a new haircut,” she bemoans. “I update my profile. That’s just how it is.”

Mary is a friend of sexy yoga instructor Anna (Scarlett Johansson), who is stringing along estate agent Conor (Kevin Connolly) but would rather share the bed of businessman Ben (Bradley Cooper).

Unfortunately, he’s married to Janine (Jennifer Connelly), who works in the marketing department of a spice company with Beth (Jennifer Aniston) and Gigi (Ginnifer Goodwin).

Beth is frustrated that long-term beau Neil (Ben Affleck) refuses to go down on bended knee.

Meanwhile, Gigi ricochets from one date to the next.

The film is a disappointingly familiar scrapbook of relationship highs and woes.

Ken Kwapis’ film feels considerably longer than two hours, although this isn’t time to flesh out so many characters for us to care about their fates.