He's Just Not That Into You - Blu-ray Review

Several couples work through relationship issues in this film based on a self-help book by Sex and the City writers Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo.

He's Just Not That Into You chronicles the love lives of a group of thirty-something Baltimore yuppies. Gigi (Ginnifer Goodwin) is looking for love. She’s been rejected by Conor (Kevin Connolly) and is now seeking dating advice from Alex (Justin Long), the owner of a local bar.

Gigi’s coworker Janine (Jennifer Connelly) is having marital difficulties with her husband Ben (Bradley Cooper). She’s so focused on renovating their new home she’s oblivious to the fact that he’s cheating with Anna (Scarlett Johansson). Anna is also seeing Conor, but her friend Mary (Drew Barrymore) is an unlucky-in-love newspaper editor. Gigi’s other coworker Beth (Jennifer Anniston) is living with her boyfriend Neil (Ben Affleck), Ben’s friend, who is afraid to commit to marriage. In keeping with the self-help book aspect of the film’s origin, each vignette starts off with a “woman on the street” interview and is divvyed into chapters. I’d imagine that he book is much different than the final film. I’d also imagine that the gals amongst us are going to like this one much better than I did. Firstly, I’d have to say that there are very few comedies that are successful over two hours. This one goes over by nine minutes. That might be because it’s like an anthology picture with each of our groups having to have their stories told and each of them intersecting in some way. The picture also features a cavalcade of star talent in front of the camera.

Unfortunately, for me, the screenplay doesn’t feel like it was given enough time for each one of them to breath. That might also be because, as the cover shows, that there are many names and each of them needs their screentime. It definitely falls into the romantic comedy genre, but also is firmly in the “chick flick” section. There are some less-than-comedic moments, mostly involving the disintegrating marriage of Janine. I guess you can’t have funny all the time. He’s just not that into You is presented in a 1080p high definition transfer (2.40:1). Special features are presented in high definition. They include 19 minutes of extended character vignettes; an 11 minute “Six Words that Make up a Film” which has behind-the-scenes footage, the 4 minute “Duet for Telephones” is about a scene in the film, and finally 14 minutes of deleted scenes with optional commentary by director Ken Kwapis. The disc is also BD-Live enhanced so if your player is also enhanced for it. He's Just Not That Into You is something that I just had trouble getting into. If you’re into these types of films then you’ll find something to laugh and cry at. I just wanted to get out of the relationship to the film.