Start a free trial Thousands of TV series and movies to watch instantly. Already a member?

Reviews > Movie Reviews > He's Just Not…

He's Just Not That Into You Review
02 Feb 2009
Critics rating: 2.5 stars out of 5
Reviewed by Tom Charity , LOVEFiLM
He's Just Not That Into You

I don't know what it says about men that a movie about relationships is immediately described as a "chick flick", but in this case, the cap fits.

Right from the title, this film is addressed directly to women.
Gigi (Ginnifer Goodwin, from Big Love) has guy trouble. That is, she hasn’t got one. Set up on a blind date with estate agent Conor (Kevin Connolly), she misinterprets his polite brush-off and spends the next week obsessing about a phone call that’s never going to come.

Cast details

See, Conor is still carrying a torch for Anna (Scarlett Johansson), who used to sleep with him but now just wants to be friends. When Anna bumps into Ben (Bradley Cooper) at the checkout, neither of them can ignore the sparks. He tries to put out the fire. He tells her right up front that he’s married. But one thing leads to another…

Meanwhile Ben’s brother Neil (Ben Affleck) is given his marching orders by Beth (Jennifer Aniston) when she decides that seven years and no proposal means he just doesn’t love her enough. Then there’s Alex (Justin Long), a confirmed bachelor bartender friend of Conor, who takes pity on Gigi, serving as a kind of agony aunt/undercover agent as she negotiates the treacherous waters of the dating scene.

Oh, and I nearly forgot Janine (Jennifer Connelly), Ben’s wife, Neil’s sister in law, Gigi’s best friend, Conor’s client. But then, everybody else does too. 

I didn’t know much about He going into it, but wasn’t surprised to find out afterwards that it’s based on a self-help book, not a novel, and that this book was a collaboration between a stand up comedian and one the story editors on the TV show Sex and the City (Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo, respectively). The plenitude of characters only partially camouflages the paucity of story, and the movie comes laden with helpful hints for the lovelorn in the form of intertitles and fake interviews with the battle-scarred.

He's Just Not That Into You: Scarlett Johansson
Director Ken Kwapis doesn't give it much flow and there's at least one couple too many, but it's not a hard watch.

Director Ken Kwapis doesn’t give it much flow and there’s at least one couple too many, but it’s not a hard watch. Produced by Drew Barrymore’s Flower Films, the movie is unusual for putting its bigger stars in the smaller roles (Barrymore herself has what amounts to an extended cameo and inexplicably winds up with the yukky estate agent).

The bulk of the lifting goes to Ginnifer Goodwin, who is sweet and likeable in a rather pathetic role. Justin Long – Barrymore’s boyfriend at the time of production – is miscast (too young and too inexperienced) in a role that Ryan Reynolds, say, might have been perfect for. Bradley Cooper does good work as a nice guy in the worst way, but what do you know, Jennifer Aniston and Ben Affleck (Bennifer 2?) are effortlessly engaging as the alienated couple. I want to give a quick mention to the redoubtable Luis Guzman, too, who shows up for one scene, rolls the movie into a spliff and smokes it.

In conclusion, HJNTIY is a modest improvement on the not so high standards of Sex and the City and The Women, and a legitimate Valentine’s Day alternative to Friday the 13th.

He's Just Not That Into You Reviews

loading loading...

 

Agree or disagree? Write your own review

Review title:

Close

Tips for writing helpful reviews

  • Only review titles you've actually seen!
  • Talk about what you liked and disliked
  • Compare this title with other similar titles
  • Provide plenty of detail - at least 20 words
  • Space things out - use blank lines between paragraphs.
  • Be appropriate - no adult content, libellous statements or naughty words
  • Don't SPAM! No promoting of other websites or services
  • Don't plaguerise! Your submission must be your own original work
  • Don't talk about LOVEFiLM by name

Close

Tips for an eye catching title

  • Don't just repeat the name of the title you're reviewing
  • Don't summarise your entire review in one word - a minimum of 2 words please.
  • Give people a reason to read your full review - create a sense of intrigue or curiosity!
 Keep me anonymous This review contains spoilers (or might spoil it for someone who hasn't seen it yet)
By clicking Preview review you agree to our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy

Sign up to our free newsletter

Get a weekly dose of love film

Our weekly newsletter is packed full of news, reviews and opinions, and handily delivered straight to your inbox.

Sign up now
Take a gamble on LOVEFiLM competitions and win prizes every week Competitions

News, Reviews & Interviews

Want to watch something right now?

Start your FREE trial now

LOVEFiLM - An Amazon company

Follow LOVEFiLM on

Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | EULA | Affiliates | Jobs | Inside LOVEFiLM Blog | About Us | Contact Us

International sites UK DK DE SE NO

LOVEFiLM, the LOVEFiLM logo and all other LOVEFiLM product or service names are trade marks of LOVEFiLM International Ltd. or its affiliates.

© 2012 LOVEFiLM UK Ltd. or its affiliates. All Rights Reserved.