Yes, I saw “He’s Just Not That Into You.” No, I did not go voluntarily (I owed my girlfriend a movie, after making her see “Step Brothers.”) And no, this chick flick was nowhere near as bad as say “Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.”
But it is long (two hours plus) and confusing. It is also true in its portrayal of modern dating and relationships.
The film opens with a boy pushing a girl into her sand castle, and the girl’s mother telling her he did it because he likes her.
“We are all programmed to believe that if a guy acts like a total jerk that means he likes you,” says Gigi (Ginnifer Goodwin), one of the main characters.
“He’s Just Not That Into You,” based on the book by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo, tells the story of eight 30-somethings whose lives weave together in a variety of ways.
Gigi exemplifies the obsessive behavior women (and men) will go to, even if the other person isn’t interested. She shares her dating escapades with her co-workers, Beth (Jennifer Aniston) and Janine (Jennifer Connelly).
Janine is married to Ben (Bradley Cooper). He meets Anna (Scarlett Johansson) at a supermarket and cheats on his wife with her. Anna is dating Conor (Kevin Connolly) who happens to have just gone on a date with Gigi.
Confused yet? Me too. But there’s more.
Beth is dating Neil (Ben Affleck), who’s best friends with Ben. Beth wants desperately to get married, but Neil doesn’t believe in it.
Then there is Mary (Drew Barrymore) who runs ads for a small local paper and publishes ads for Conor, a real estate agent.
The final storyline goes back to Gigi, the girl from the start, who meets Alex (Justin Long) who happens to be Conor’s best friend.
Phew. I think I got the whole story down.
If “He’s Just Not That Into You,” had stuck to one or two stories, I probably would have found it more enjoyable.
I give “He’s Just Not” two stars. Women will love it and guys, remember, you could be watching “Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.”