You're my exception..... (He's Just Not That Into You (DVD))

Member Name: pmcds

Product:	He's Just Not That Into You (DVD)
Date:	18/07/09 (42 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Funny and lighthearted, pokes fun at itself, good acting

Disadvantages: Nothing special

Oh, blimey! I've read a couple of reviews of this film, and each time I have imagined the most twisted and convoluted series of character links ever in a film. Indeed, this confusion does transfer over onto the screen for a while, before the intersecting plotlines cross bit by bit and make you realise that the 'who' isn't as important as the 'what'.

Essentially, this is utter romcom, dissecting relationships and reading signs, particularly those that aren't even there. It's a film that attacks the stereotypes we associate with typical relationships, people's attempts to get into them, people's attempts to get out of them, and everything in between.

I'm not about to make an attempt to enlighten you to the vast cast list of recognisable names, nor give you the entire character groupings on each subplot and how they are all interlinked by this person who works with that person, who's in a relationship with this person, who goes to this class held by the other person, etc. That would just confuse you, and you should, in fact, even disregard that last sentence! It confuses me again just thinking about it!

Hopefully, this will clear things up for you. For others, you may be sitting there, shaking your head, wondering why on earth I am watching a film like this. Truth be told, it really isn't the genre I prefer, but every now and then I like to remind myself that there is more out there than the genres I typically watch, and that I should really give them all a go. So, how did I acquire this? Well, I got it as part of an introductory offer from Blockbuster, a month's free trial for their movie rental delivery service, and the wife wanted to watch this one.

Needless to say, she loved it, and thought it really funny and cringeworthy. I wondered how you could regard a cringeworthy film as good, before I watched it. Once I had seen it, I completely understood the cringing and also the funny side of it. The film essentially explores the complicated nature of relationships, and takes up various stories, examining different situations and showing how events can change how we perceive the dating game and the institution of marriage. It has a very Americanised feel to it, with stereotypes we associate with the States exaggerated in a tongue in cheek way.

A film like this requires good acting, as so much hinges on personality and how the characters intermingle. There is no individual lead, as all characters have their story told in bits. There's no surprise at the turnout of some of the cast, though, with Jennifer Aniston using all of her romcom and Friends experience to convince us in her role. Ben Affleck plays her partner, with Kris Kristofferson her dad. Meanwhile, we've got Jennifer Connelly in a marriage with Alias' Bradley Cooper. while best friend Ginnifer Goodwin is hopelessly pursuing relationship advice from Justin Long, whilst trying to get the affections of Kevin Connolly. He, in turn, is more interested in Yoga Instructor Scarlett Johanssen, who is, in turn, interested in married man Bradley Cooper (you see the loop) following a chance supermarket encounter. Oh, and Drew Barrymore keeps popping up, too. She's also one of the exec producers of the film.

There you go. I promised I wouldn't confuse you, and now I've gone and done exactly that! My sincerest apologies. If I've managed to completely throw you, don't worry. These character links aren't important. The acting is, and it's very good on the whole. There are a couple of wooden moments, and Johanssen seems to get her timing a bit off at times, but generally, everyone is well versed in this, which seems to be, to coin a phrase, 'Acting 101', being able to conform to relationship stereotypes.

Okay, so it examines relationships and how we supposedly misread human behaviour. It does so in a fun way, never really taking itself too seriously, and with a few laugh out loud moments. I have to say, I kind of enjoyed it, and while this in no way makes it a great film in my opinion, it kept me watching for its duration of just under 2 hours. It's out on DVD, at top prices for the moment. If this is something to float your boat, then I'd suggest waiting for a while until the price drops. I have no idea of any extras, as the DVD I had sent to me by Blockbuster contained none.

I recommend watching this. It's not fantastic, but it's entertaining, and one of the better romcoms I've seen for a while. Nothing special, but worth the watch.

Summary: Favourable romcom exploring human behaviour