He's Just Not That Into You

4/5 stars

Filled with enough drama and obvious humor with sufficient mix of fine acting, every chick flick fan in town shouldn’t miss this movie at all! I’m a self-confessed one so first day, first screening, I went and watch it at Gateway Cineplex 6.

Based on the self-help book by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo, He’s Just Not That Into You is a story of love and relationships in general. It tells us that men after all, were not that complicated. If he didn’t call you back after the first date or didn’t bother at all to call you after the first encounter, no need to obsess about figuring out why he didn’t call. It’s as simple as what the title implies.

What is very very remarkable about the movie is the way it was adapted. The book is a self-help one and how they created a wonderful plot and how the lives of each character are intertwined is awesome.

Gigi (Ginnifer Goodwin) is a girl who longs for love but lives under the impression of our society’s stereotypes that if a guy does this, that means he likes you. Obsessing about why her latest date Conor (Kevin Connolly) never called again after the first date, she started stalking him and laying down all the possible reasons why he never called. In a sudden work of fate she met Alex (Justin Long) who happens to be a friend of Connor’s, Alex then enlightened Gigi of the reasons why his friend never called and gave her pieces of advice why most of the time, men never calls after the first date. On the other hand, Gigi’s officemates have their own relationship problems with the men in their lives. Beth (Jennifer Aniston) is committed into a long term relationship with Neil (Ben Affleck) but doesn’t want to marry her. Neil is friends with Ben (Bradley Cooper) who was forced into marriage by his wife Janine (Jennifer Connelly), who’s also an officemate of Beth and Gigi. Ben felt that his marriage was a torture. He then met and slept with aspiring singer and yoga instructor, Anna (Scarlet Johansson), who’s friends with Mary (Drew Barrymore), a girl who doesn’t mind looking for Mr. Right in Myspace. Together, they unraveled the ecstasy and misery of being “in a relationship”.

He’s Just Not That Into You is one of the best chick flicks I’ve ever seen for it doesn’t only entertain but it also tackles many relationship issues that almost everyone can learn from. This movie is not only enjoyable but somehow, it answers basic issues and questions about love, relationships, dealing with the opposite sex as well as the same sex that we tend to obsess about. This movie also reminds us of how simple some things in life can be if we just go with the flow and stop obsessing about it. If it happens, it happens. As easy as that. Ultimately, the movie proves to us how complex relationships gets but no matter how crazy and problematic they are, all of us still longs to be “in a relationship”.

There are two lessons I’ve deduced from the movie that I personally can relate to: first, if you’re single and you’ve tried almost every possible way you can think of on how to find love and the man for you, maybe it’s time to shift focus. Maybe it’s time to move on from looking for love and believe that there are other things bigger and brighter for you and love will come eventually. Sometimes we are so overshadowed by the idea of looking for love that we are missing a lot on the joys and surprises it gives us when love is the one who’ll come knocking at our doors.

Finally, love comes to those who never tire to hope, who never lose faith that someday, somehow, that special someone who will treat you as the sole exception to all his rules will sweep you off your feet and prove to you that you are capable of loving and being loved.

He’s Just Not That Into You is not only a movie worthy of your time and money but more so, it is a reminder to us all that no amount of disappointments, failures, heartaches, and pain can ever stop us from risking it all for LOVE’s sake.