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.

Marley & Me

5/5

Marley & Me is the first movie I’ve seen in the grandeur of a movie house this 2009. I went to watch it at Gateway Cineplex a week after its premiere. I am not an animal lover especially, dogs. I grew up fearing dogs; considering them as a threat that could end my life anytime. I know that Marley & Me is a story about a dog but when I saw the trailer in late December 2008, I told myself that I’m gonna watch this movie because underneath the central story of a dog, the movie hits a couple of valuable lessons that are all close to home and are inspiring in their own ways.

Based on an autobiographical book essay collection of columnist John Grogan, Marley & Me followed the life of John (Owen Wilson) from the time he and his wife Jenny (Jennifer Aniston) got married, the glory days of his career as a columnist, to the time they had children and moved to another state. The highs and lows of the story started when the couple isn’t ready yet to have a baby and so they adopted a dog and named him after the singer Bob Marley. Beyond the lovable features of Marley, he turned out to be the world’s worst dog. Unruly and stubborn, Marley humps to people and chews almost everything in his way. Even a trainer has given up on him. But despite this downside, the movie balances Marley’s bad behavior with candid and tender dog and human bonding moments. As the family grew, Marley learned to adjust with it too. Being a constant companion in private family moments, his presence though at times annoying became a must for John Grogan’s family. Their moments with Marley also became the most cherished moments of their lives. Years passed and with the help of the boisterous behavior of Marley, John and Jenny’s family learned some of the valuable lessons in life coupled with precious family memories they will all carry in their hearts forever.

I refuse to be technical about Marley & Me for it is good as it is. Instead, I’ll share some of the lessons I learned from the movie:

1. Sometimes, the worst characteristic of a person is what makes us love them. At times, we think we hate it, we hate them, but as we dig deeper, we’ll realize that these qualities are actually the magnet that draws us to them and makes us love them whatever their flaws are.

2. Relationships, specifically marriage entails with it responsibilities that doesn’t only require love and understanding but most importantly, commitment and dedication in the most profound sense of the words.

3. Letting go is as important as the air we breathe. Nothing is permanent in this world and as we live our lives, attachments, whether it is physical, emotional, or psychological, at one point in our life, has to say goodbye and we have to be ready for it. This doesn’t mean not allowing yourself to experience these emotions but knowing when to stop and say goodbye is the key.

4. Lost is a tool for us to be better. We’ve all experienced loss. Loss of a once magical love, loss of a loved one, loss of victory. Loss. It’s never easy and we may not understand the analogy there is but these failures that caused damage in us are nothing but instruments for us to struggle and be the best that we can be.

5. Family. We may not approve of them all the time. We may not always be in harmony with each other. But at the end of the day, we are still thankful that we all belong to one. For no matter how crazy we are, in the midst of whether stability or turmoil in our lives, they are the ones who have and will forever make us feel special and extraordinary.

Marley & Me will surely make it to everyone’s list of favorite movies for it is a movie that hits close to home. Everyone can relate to it one way or the other. It’ll not only make you laugh and cry at the same time but with its heartfelt story, it’ll surely touch everyone. THIS MOVIE IS A MUST WATCH!