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Starring |
Ginnifer Goodwin
,
Justin Long
,
Jennifer Connelly
,
Bradley Cooper
,
Scarlet Johansson
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Directed By |
Ken Kwapis
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Audio
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Dolby Digital 5.1
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Visuals
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2.35:1 Anamorphic Widescreen
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Running Time |
129 mins
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UK Release Date |
June 15, 2009
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Genre |
Romantic Comedy
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Our Rating |
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User Rating |
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Based on a self-help dating manual, which itself was inspired by a throwaway line from ‘Sex And The City’, He’s Just Not That Into You was perhaps doomed from day one. Dragged out beyond the two-hour mark to painful effect, this laugh-free comedy drama criminally wastes the talents of an impressive cast.
The set-up is this. Gigi (Goodwin) is desperate for a man but is thrown into emotional turmoil when the guy doesn’t call after a date. She begins to take advice from bar owner Alex (Long), who regales Gigi with all-manner of insights into the male psyche. Meanwhile, Beth (Jennifer Aniston) is peeved that her boyfriend of seven years (Ben Affleck) is still refusing to walk down the aisle, and Anna (Johansson) has recently embarked on an affair with a married man, whose wife, Janine (Connelly), is a control freak and has lost her passion for sex.
Condescending, misogynistic and just plain insulting, He’s Not That Into You is a nonsense-driven infiltration into chick flick territory. Disguising itself as a harmless ensemble comedy but coming across like the most cynical of date movies, the film attempts to provide a revealing and fun insight into gender politics by way of its interconnecting storylines. The truth is, the film is neither insightful nor fun, and while the flimsy material could have been turned into something far more interesting and far more cutting in the hands of someone like Neil LaBute, Ken Kwapis and co. have done nothing but deliver numerous empty-headed nuggets of wisdom like ‘if a guy doesn’t call a girl after a date, he’s probably not interested’. We’re sure women the world over will be singing the film’s praises for clearing that one up...
The film is made all the more disappointing when you consider the long list of well-known and up and coming talent, though certain cast members do manage to leave a lasting impression despite the flimsy script, namely Ginnifer Goodwin, whose turn in TV’s ‘Big Love’ has proven that she’s so much better than this.
The underwhelming feature is accompanied by some underwhelming special features on the DVD, which merely includes a set of deleted scenes with optional commentary from the director.
Overall Verdict: A humourless and condescending venture into gender politics.
Special Features:
Deleted Scenes (With Optional Commentary From Director Ken Kwapis)
Reviewer: Lee Griffiths