hes just not that into you Tagged Articles at Cinematical

400 Screens, 400 Blows is a weekly column that takes an in-depth look at the films playing below the radar, beneath the top ten, and on 400 screens or less.

I'm rather dismayed by the huge success of the awful He's Just Not That Into You (21 screens). I mean, I like Bradley Cooper in general, and Justin Long's character is interesting for a while, at least until his stupid Hollywood redemption during the third act. And it does pose an interesting question: if you were married to Jennifer Connelly and had the chance to sleep with Scarlett Johansson, would you do it? I prefer to think of this question as a koan, or an unanswerable riddle meant to be pondered during meditation. Now, I know what you're thinking: this guy just doesn't like chick flicks. Not true. I love chick flicks, provided they're good, which they rarely are. Chick flicks are almost like horror films; the filmmakers have their audience hooked already and so most of them do the minimum amount of work required to crank out another just like the last one.

Clockwise from upper left: Revolutionary Road, Defiance, He's Just Not That Into You, The Graduate, Anaconda, Fletch.

Revolutionary Road
Leonardo DiCaprio re-teamed with Kate Winslet, Michael Sheen Shannon * in a blistering supporting role, Sam Mendes examining suburbia, an adaptation of a classic American novel by Richard Yates; what could possibly go wrong? "In truth, it's both relentlessly grim and nearly pointless," wrote Jeffrey M. Anderson. "The only thing it does really well is create a feeling of suffocation." Also on Blu-ray. My choice: Rent it.

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He's Just Not That Into You
Ben Affleck, Jennifer Aniston, Drew Barrymore, Jennifer Connelly, Bradley Cooper and Scarlet Johansson star in a movie that will rot your brain. Put more kindly by William Goss: "This film feels more like a one night stand than anything else: you'll enjoy taking it home overnight, but when tomorrow comes, it's less a matter of calling it as merely recalling it." Also on Blu-ray. My choice: Skip it.

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Defiance
Daniel Craig drinks martinis protects fellow Jews from the Nazis in Edward Zwick's drama, based on a true story. "An uneasy mix of action and suspense with meaningful themes, of emotion and adrenaline," opined James Rocchi. "You sincerely hope it sends people to the truth even as it fails as fiction." Also on Blu-ray. My choice: Rent it.

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After the jump: Indies on DVD, more Blu-ray picks, and a "legendary" Collector's Corner!

Several weeks ago at a press conference for Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, Matthew McConaughey's latest cinematic, um, effort, I asked him and co-star Jennifer Garner if this film was more a cautionary tale for women not to be drawn in by douchebags than an object lesson for would-be lotharios. While McConaughey marveled at the prospect anyone would think one of his characters was a douchebag, Garner dismissed the idea that the greater lesson could or should be learned by the film's female viewership. "It's more for men to say you have to risk love and commitment," she insisted. "Otherwise, you're going to end up alone with old-age make-up and sad and the beautiful woman is going to go off and marry someone else."

While Garner's make-up reference was a clever play on the film's decidedly underwhelming "ghosts of girlfriends future" segment – and one which, if you're lucky enough to never see the film, will never be provided an actual context - the question unfortunately remains: who is this film supposed to teach a lesson, much less entertain? Having analyzed its reprehensible characters and deconstructed its mixed messages, it seems obvious that the film was either made specifically for terrible, stupid people of both genders, or for no one at all.

Like thousands of others, I lost an important source of income earlier this year, so I've keenly felt the impact of the current economic recession on my greatest passion: watching movies. But though it may "sound counterintuitive," CNN reports that "movie ticket sales are way up in this down economy" because "struggling people are looking for a $10, two-hour escape."

They point to the stunning box office success of the critically slammed Paul Blart: Mall Cop, He's Just Not That Into You, and Bride Wars, and quote Paul Dergarabedian of Hollywood.com, who claims that "only movies that turn away from financial realities will succeed during the recession." Dergarabedian also cites the opening weekend success of the new version of Friday the 13th and declares: "If Jason is scaring the crap out of you, you can't really be thinking about your mortgage, you know?" Riiiiiiiiiight. Of course, most of the younger crowd that were scared by Jason don't have mortgages yet to worry about.

In my case, I recently raced out to a late morning screening to catch Clive Owen in The International because the first weekend screening of the day at my local multiplex costs only $6.00, compared to $8.00 for early afternoon shows and $10.00 for anything after 4:00 p.m. I shaved down my Netflix account, canceled the premium movie channels from my satellite TV subscription, and now shop only for bargain-priced "gotta have" DVDs online.

What about you? Is the recession impacting your movie watching? Are you choosing different types of movies -- comedies and thrillers instead of dramas? Are you going to more matinee shows? Are you watching fewer movies in theaters and more on TV, your computer, and your cell phone not for the convenience, but because it's cheaper?

Welcome back to another edition of Insert Caption -- the game you can totally give your girlfriend for Valentine's Day. Last week we asked you to chuck out a caption for a photo from He's Just Not That Into You, and luckily three of you stepped up with a little somethin' somethin' we were all into. Congrats to you ...

1. "You wanna know why he's not that into you? Because you spell your name Ginnifer. Not Jennifer, like us." -- Timmy B.

2. "No, really. Then they rip the wax off, and the hair comes with it." -- Charles P.

3. "After a few years of subpar movie paydays, this was the moment Jennifer Aniston realized that maybe a "Friends" reunion movie wouldn't be that bad." -- Eric W.

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This week, in honor of Valentine's Day (which is tomorrow!), we're celebrating the much buzzed-about (for several different reasons) Two Lovers, starring actor-turned-rapper Joaquin Phoenix, Gwyneth Paltrow and Vinessa Shaw. While we prepare for the onslaught of Joaquin-related jokes, let me tell you what's at stake: One Grand Prize winner will slide away with two Two Lovers American Express gift certificates for a romantic dinner, ten Two Lovers Landmark ticket comps and three Magnolia produced DVDs, while two runner-ups will each receive six Two Lovers Landmark ticket comps and three Magnolia produced DVDs. This is a good one, folks, so give us all you've got in the comments section below ...



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I am anything but a rom-com fan (there's maybe one good one a year, by my reckoning), but even I was charmed by the lovely, funny trailer for He's Just Not That Into You. A bunch of genuinely funny people -- Ginnifer Goodwin, Jennifer Aniston, Justin Long, Drew Barrymore -- in what appeared to be a breezy, clever rumination on romance (that voicemail Goodwin leaves, starting out as a practiced, casual come-on and deteriorating into a panicked digression about how "more women are admitted to law school now than men," made me laugh every time): I wanted to see it. I haven't yet -- the unversally bad reviews dampened my enthusiasm -- but apparently the rest of the country wanted to see it too. The two-hour-plus film won a busy weekend with $27.5 million dollars, beating out a sci-fi thriller, a broad comedy with Steve Martin, and a 3-D animated wonder.

The latter, Henry Selick's Coraline, settled for third with $16.3 million. That may not seem like much, but consider that the film had no brand (with the possible exception of the "from the makers of A Nightmare Before Christmas label) and that the marketing did little to hide its deep-seated creepiness. On the other hand, Push, the gorgeous-but-incoherent sci-fi thriller only managed $10.2 million, a disappointing opening for what could have been at least a minor event film. Blame a crowded weekend and the fact that Summit Entertainment is still a relative newcomer to this whole wide distribution thing.

Being free of cable and relying on the internet for my television, I usually miss TV spots for Hollywood's big movies. But Thursday night, as I sat at my friend's house, I saw the spot for He's Just Not That Into You. It claims that this is "the perfect date movie."

Let me back up a minute. This whole film comes from both the book about women who make excuses for men who blow them off, and the Sex and the City episode where Miranda learns that some men just aren't that into her. (A revelation that is quickly disproven when she learns the guy isn't shunning her, he just has the runs.)

This is the perfect date movie? Yeah, it's all rom-commy, as William Goss' review explains, but it's still about disinterest. Assuming the film throws in as many "he's just not that into you" moments as possible, no matter how much romance and love is included, it's about excuses, dishonesty, and all that jazz.

A good movie for romcom fans, probably. A date movie? Only if a dude hasn't ever used those same techniques on his girl. If he has, that's just one completely unfun can of worms. Then again, it'd be an excellent way to sow the seeds of doubt.

Okay couples: Is this the date movie for you, and if it is, do you have sinister ulterior motives?

Welcome back to another funtastic edition of Insert Caption -- the game that's very into rewarding your great captions with equally-as-great prizes. Last week we asked you to shove your fellow captioners aside while spitting out some of that good stuff for a photo from the new sci-fi thriller Push. While we help peel Chris Evans off that cotton candy-coated floor, let's congratulate our one grand prize winner ...




1. "Once he hit the floor, Chris knew his run through the breakdancing brackets would end in the quarterfinals." -- Matt H.

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This week we're taking a ride on that star-studded romantic comedy bus called He's Just Not That Into You, and if you thought this flick was packed with enough talent to fill an entire year's worth of rom-com fare ... well, then wait till you check out this prize package. The cats behind our three favorite captions will walk-of-shame away with (deep breath) one He's Just Not That Into You Jeweled Heart Mirror Compact, one He's Just Not That Into You Black Thermal Women's Hoodie, one He's Just Not That Into You Lip Gloss, one He's Just Not That Into You Nail File, one He's Just Not That Into You Heart Shaped Post-it Notes, one He's Just Not That Into You Sweetheart Candies, one He's Just Not That Into You Pama Liqueur Prize Pack (No liqueur but prize pack includes: hot tees for him & her, cool hat, recipe booklet and a pomegranate scented candle) and one He's Just Not That Into You Soundtrack CD.

Phew ... if he's just not that into you after your ass takes home all of that, then, damn, lose that fool once and for all. Sound off ...



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Living lives of loud desperation for the sake of your entertainment / enjoyment / enlightenment (a generous assessment on all three counts) are Rachel from Friends, the Mac Guy, Firestarter, Daredevil, and a dozen other familiar faces and names, all of them hell-bent on telling you that if He's Just Not That Into You, all one merely has to do is swap out that target of affection. In a weird way, it's a strategy that the film itself seems to employ: If you don't like what supposed relationship insights we have to offer up across 10 blocks of Baltimore and 130 minutes of running time, just wait -- we all change our tune to make each other happy eventually.

Since this romantic omnibus already has too many characters for its own good, let's go ahead and get their introductions out of the way real quick like. There's the desperate-to-date-and-then-some Ginnifer Goodwin, who is blown off by Kevin Connolly in favor of the company of Scarlett Johansson, and who is friends with Jennifer Connelly and Jennifer Aniston and, now, Connolly's frank pal Justin Long. (With me so far?) Connolly buys ad space in the local paper from Drew Barrymore and yet flirts with Barrymore's friend, Johansson, who is herself more interested in tempting Bradley Cooper, who is currently married to Connelly (Jennifer, not Kevin) and happens to be friends with Ben Affleck, who refuses to propose to long-time love interest Aniston, and oh, great, now I've gone all cross-eyed.