61 of 70 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
"He's Just Not That Into You" - Your date-by-numbers guide!, February 10, 2009
Hey, you...stop sitting by the phone waiting for him to call...get up and go watch this movie!
I have to admit, I'm not much of a rom-com watcher. Unlike others of its ilk, though, this flick wisely admits that relationships aren't all rainbows and butterflies, but that they are complicated, confusing, messes that aren't necessarily all sorted out by the time the credits roll.
The premise is simple enough - the film claims:
"If a guy says he'll call and doesn't, he's not in the hospital with a broken number-dialing finger; he's just not that into you".
After a mediocre first date with pre-recession real estate agent Conor (Kevin Connolly), the film's main protagonist Gigi (Ginnifer Goodwin), over zealous for date success and naively optimistic as ever, is certain that she has found Mr. Right. But when he doesn't call, her friends (Jennifer Aniston as Beth and Jennifer Connelly as Janine) comfort her with assurances of his interest and case studies of how they knew someone who knew someone in the exact situation - and it worked out for them, of course!
Not that Beth or Janine are living it up in the mansion of romantic bliss, mind you. Aniston's character has been living with Neil (Ben Affleck) for seven years, and for five of the seven, she's been dying to know why he won't pop the question. Wholly against the institution of marriage, though, Neil says that he's totally committed to her and he doesn't need a piece of paper to prove...yadda, yadda, yadda.
Connelly's character Janine on the other hand is married. Happily? Not so much. Ben's (Bradley Cooper) baby blues are soon tempted toward blonder waters when he meets Anna (Scarlet Johansson) at a convenience store one fine evening; how convenient. Too bad he's married, he reasons.
Drew Barrymore easily plays Mary, Anna's friend. Her role is pretty forgettable; but then she did spend most of her time producing the movie.
Justin Long plays Alex, the woman conquering bar owner who decides to school Gigi in the thinking of men, no feelings spared.
For the most part the story lines are tied together in believable ways and it's interesting to watch just how they're all connected - kind of like 6 degrees of separation.
A tough pill to swallow:
Perhaps too realistic at times, "He's Just" exposes the well-intentioned way we women attempt to comfort our spurned friends - not with assurances that despite her many attractive qualities, the guy just isn't interested for one reason or another. Instead, we assure our friends that there is no way he could be uninterested.
Really ladies, if you suspect that your friend is dating a guy who can't see her true worth, before you swell her head with an idealized, irresistible image of herself, please take her to see this movie, and let her do some soul searching. The film will do all the talking for you without patronization.
Be warned:
It's hardly a date movie (unless you want to end the date by breaking up when the scales have dropped from your eyes and you realize that you're more "into" the relationship than your significant other).
Best performances from: Jennifer Connelly as Janine who is more obsessed with the idea that her husband is smoking behind her back than that he is having an affair. Ginnifer Goodwin too has earned her keep. Her embarrassing attempts at securing "the one" are so realistic you will likely find yourself reddening at the all too familiar lengths to which she goes.
Best line from the movie: Listen out for the line the guy uses who ends up with Gigi (won't say who ;-)), it could be the "You complete me" of the 21st century!
Disclaimer:
This film may cause some discomfort. Side effects are generally mild and may include feelings of embarrassment over previous postdate obsession/stalking.
4.5 stars.
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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Blu Review, May 28, 2009
Obviously this movie has hit a nerve with a large volume people, and whether you hate or love it the Blu managed to make for a nice product.
The 129 minutes does seem long, but the variety of color tests and hidef clarity showcasing this awesome cast makes for a watchable Blu. The colors, depth and scenery variety make for an adequate representation, including the sailing, the dark indoors, room decors, and Scarlett. The sound is uneventful but you do have the choice between TrueHD or normal 5.1. And if even just to hear Kristofferson's voice say anything in TrueHD, albeit only two scenes.
The special features are definitely...unique. If you liked the premise of that invisible wall being removed during the film - the "interviews" of the random people on the street - then you you will dig the main feature here.
* A "newspaper" format of the six couples/storylines that when selected, allows you to delve deeper into the characters' lives. Actually, brief excerpts can be seen during the credit sequence. Each one totals three minutes and admittedly, it peaked every single customer's interest when they saw it, because it seems real. Several people thought they were watching Hollywood couples being interviewed about their relationships. Bradley Cooper's "interview" gathered the biggest crowd, but irritated most of the guys watching.
* If one ever has interest into how much a phone conversation scene in a movie can be micromanaged, look no further. This four minute feature has the director dissect in detail how they made one of the phone call scenes have relevance that even the trained eye might miss. If anything, several people now wanted to watch the film again to see what the heck he was talking about.
* The inspiration and history of the film are covered in an eleven minute documentary, catered to the die hard fans.
* The deleted scenes total 13:45 and would have been much better left in - especially since we had already endured two+ hours of this. The commentary gives no credibility as to why Scarlet's actual singing was removed from the film. Coupled with Teresa Russel's entire role being cut, it just showcased the weakness in the writing people complain about in this film.
Big fans of the film will want this as a purchase, but since 90% of my Blu customers are guys, I foresee this as mostly a rental.
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