A so-so script was not helped by actors who were clearly uninterested
Written: Feb 25 '09
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Ginnefer Goodwin's energy.
Cons: Justin Long, Jennifer Connelly, Bradley Cooper, Scarlett Johannssen
The Bottom Line: MILDLY entertaining, with a great cast of actors mostly looking worn out or bored.
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| rmurray847's Full Review: He's Just Not That Into You |
I was not terribly in to HE’S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU (HJNTIY). As a sum total, it was a moderately enjoyable movie, yet oddly I found it to be poorly cast/acted, and full of clichés.
HJNTIY follows various relationships among people who all either know each other, or are separated by only a degree or two at most. We see people falling IN love, people falling OUT of love. Some couples do both. Some characters seem to do neither. And naturally, most things wrap up in a satisfactory manner at the end. It’s told in loosely interwoven scenes. The easiest comparison I can come up with is to say it’s like a NYC version of LOVE, ACTUALLY. Although I enjoyed LOVE, ACTUALLY a whole lot more…mostly because many of the performers gave energetic, committed performances, including the drop-dead funny Bill Nighy, the droll Hugh Grant and the exceedingly witty and down-to-earth Emma Thompson.
If I had to pick a “star” of HJNTIY, it would probably be Ginnifer Goodwin (who is fabulous on TV’s BIG LOVE). She gets the most screen time. Her character is a young woman whose very eagerness to land a man causes her to drive them away. She is also utterly unable to decipher the signals men are sending her, and is really the character for whom the title is meant. She forges a friendship with bar owner Justin Long, who guides her through the “code” of understanding text messages, voice mail, pick-up lines and brush-off lines. Goodwin throws all her energy into the part, and the result is an annoying character…it’s easy to see why men run from her. Yet I had to give her credit for her efforts. At least she was trying.
On the other end of the scale was poor Jennifer Connelly. It’s now been a scarily long time since she’s had a good part or really turned in a memorable performance. I had high hopes a couple of years ago for her appearance in LITTLE CHILDREN, and though she acquitted herself okay, the nature of her role didn’t help her and then Kate Winslet just flat-out out-performed her. She is not a natural for comedy, and she mostly looked worn out and disinterested. Justin Long was right there as well…he looked 10 years older than the last time I saw him…frankly, he looked a little unhealthy, and he certainly appeared to be uninterested in building a relatable character.
In between we had Jennifer Aniston and Ben Affleck as a couple that’s been together happily for years, but Affleck just won’t pull the trigger on the marriage thing. Gee, a man who’s “against” marriage??!?! I’ve NEVER seen that in a movie before. All their scenes were charming, because these two actors are endlessly affable…but there was no real sizzle.
Scarlett Johannssen reaffirmed her limited range. Obviously she’s a stunning young lady, but with each passing role, she becomes more and more affectless and listless. She’s frequently paired with Bradley Cooper, who I am HUGELY tired of seeing in any way, shape or form. I just don’t get the appeal…he seems utterly incapable of being likeable. He convincingly plays a cad in this film, but really never makes us sympathize with him.
Also, the film underutilizes Drew Barrymore…but I suspect that her character, had she been given more screentime, would have been unlikeable too…a rare feat for the always breezy and fun Barrymore.
Again, the awkward tapestry all these characters wove was mildly entertaining throughout, and when we left the theatre, I was pleased enough to chalk it up as a “win.” But with merely 5 minutes reflection, I realized that there was very little work in the movie that was worthwhile, and I believe that HJNTIY will soon fade from memory.
The film MIGHT be a good “date night” rental…but why not watch WHEN HARRY MET SALLY again? Or heck, even LOVE, ACTUALLY!
Recommended:
No
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Epinions.com ID:
rmurray847
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Location: Albuquerque, NM
Reviews written: 328
Trusted by: 37 members
About Me:
See many more reviews of mine at www.afilmcritic.com
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