He's Just Not That Into You (2009) review - Movie Thoughts (Chapter 25) 💙

Hello everyone,

Today's film is a rom-com I thoroughly enjoyed. It was one of those titles that people would mention in passing as a quintessential romantic comedy, and I completely missed watching it growing up. I've also realised that in a lot of ways, this film walked so Valentine's Day (2010), New Year's Eve (2011) and Mother's Day (2016) could run. It's a good time, so pull this one out at your next girls night (whenever we'll get those back)....

(**disclaimer: the following thoughts are 100% my opinion, you do not have to agree with them - film is inherently subjective and everyone's perspective is valid! Also, there are probably spoilers in the following, read at your own risk. Now onto some thoughts....**)

Source: IMDB

A hilarious and heartbreaking dissection of how nine people navigated the perils of their relationships; this Ken Kwapis-directed romantic comedy had merits beyond its talented all-star cast and clever weaving of concept and plot. Set within the hustle and bustle of Baltimore, various interconnecting stories walk through the challenges of reading or misreading human behaviour in relationships both old and new. The cinematic embodiment of denial as not just a river in Egypt proliferated throughout the stories, with the twists and turns unfolding effortlessly.

It had the charming sort of coincidental energy where everyone didn’t know they were participating in a huge game of six degrees of separation, yet the audience was able to relish in the interconnected web of stories all unfolding simultaneously. Kwapis did a fantastic job of balancing the drama and the light-hearted banter whilst successfully utilizing two unique structural concepts of connecting all the characters together and a basis in the wisdom of a self-help book.

The interlocked character structure allowed for an effective tool to be able to step through all the different dynamics of various relationships at different stages of growth and also decay. Clocking in at just over two hours, there was the necessary complexity and care taken to both cover all the necessary grounds with character development and intuitively weave in the self-help threads as well. Taking it’s time also contributed to natural pacing, and it never felt rushed or unnecessarily pushed towards a hollow happy ending. Rarely do rom-com’s end with a full-on train wreck, especially one based on book designed to help people with their love lives, but there was enough light and shade in the resolutions that it felt like a genuine cross-section of potential real-life outcomes.

Self-help as a thematic concept was a golden nugget that helped this film shine. Kwapis essentially structured the story like a self-help film and honoured the source material of Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo’s book in an engaging tone. The fourth wall break monologues by different people separate from the main stories were an excellent breath of fresh air and helped to cement the ideas behind each of the sentence markers. Phrases like “why doesn’t he call….”, “why he doesn’t want to marry you….” and “if she’s not sleeping with you….” were excellent precursors for specific dialogue sequences in the story and added another implicit level of clever connection between all the material.

The nuanced complexity was also created by some fantastic writing. Marc Silverstein and Abby Kohn’s script was articulate and smart, and like any good silly rom-com found numerous ways to highlight the takeaway lessons without falling into preacher-esque territory. Particular moments stood out as special scenes of genius; like Alex (Justin Long)’s slightly passive aggressive yet strangely thoughtful monologue from behind a bar and Mary (Drew Barrymore) spouting wisdom about online dating rejection (in 2009!) with the nuance of a TED talk all while walking through a CVS.

With so many arcs to choose from, there was a lot to unpack, like and dislike about everyone’s journeys. Gigi (Ginnifer Goodwin) and Alex’s storyline was the standout in terms of emotional investment despite having the most typical rom-com structure. They had some of the best moments and memorable dialogue, and both performances were excellent. Other arcs were also easy to invest in, like Beth (Jennifer Aniston) and Neil (Ben Affleck)’s incredibly mature and heartwarming commentary on the significance of marriage. PSA: Only get married for the right reasons, and ultimatums are not one of them.

The most compelling arc involving heartbreak involved the curious case of Ben (Bradley Cooper) and Janine (Jennifer Connolly)’s marriage. Tumultuous yet surprisingly compelling to watch, it was clear through their actions they weren’t on the same page. This married and retrospectively marriage-phobic asshole told his wife he was sleeping with someone else in the wood aisle at Home Depot! His rubbish communication skills were utterly infuriating, but Cooper’s realistic performance didn’t relegate Ben’s shady behaviour from being truly annoying; unlike some other characters.

These sour notes were most notably Anna (Scarlett Johansson); a semi-vapid, gorgeous yoga instructor who wanted to pursue a singing career, despite the fact she doesn’t utter a note at any point. Anna’s questionable decisions made her quite unlikeable, and Johansson’s awkward performance didn’t do her characterisation any favours either. Real-estate agent with douchebag tendencies Conor Barry (Kevin Connolly) was also really annoying for the majority of the film. Both had their own borderline problematic stick happening that was sometimes uncomfortable to watch, and weakened a very robust plot.

Mastering the degree of maturity and fun that befits any successful romantic comedy, Kwapis’ self-help inspired romp had wisdom for everyone and plenty of laughs as well.

8/10, 4 STARS

Thanks for reading,

Love and self-help romance books, Emily 💙