He's Just Not That Into You (***1/2)

He's Just Not That Into You.  129 mins.  PG-13.  Directed by Ken Kwapis.  Written by Abby Kohn & Marc Silverstein.  Starring Ginnifer Goodwin, Kevin Connolly, Jennifer Connelly, Jennifer Aniston, Ben Affleck, Scarlett Johansson, Bradley Cooper, Justin Long, and Drew Barrymore.

Fans of romantic comedies are in for a treat with this one.  After a long drought of worthy date films, He's Just Not That Into You is a breath of fresh air and the perfect film to see this Valentine's Day weekend.  Moderately clever and thoroughly winning, the movie boasts a who's who cast of Hollywood stars, all given interesting and well-written roles.  It's no wonder so many big stars signed on - they get to show up for a few scenes, make a favorable impression on audiences, and then get out, with no harm done if the movie tanks because it's success doesn't rest entirely on any one person's shoulders.  The movie follows the love lives of nine interconnected individuals, as well as such well-worn topics as dating, marriage, and adultery.  This is very much in the same vein as 2003's Love Actually (with a dash of When Harry Met Sally's couple confessional scenes), and if you enjoyed those films, you'll probably like this one.  I'm all for movies like Love Actually and He's Just Not That Into You because it gives you about 10 romantic comedies in one - talk about value for the dollar!  At 129 minutes, the movie surprisingly flies by because it keeps jumping from one set of characters to the next, never lingering on any one story for too long.  I especially liked the love story between Justin Long and Ginnifer Goodwin (Ed reunion!), and anytime you want the leads in a romantic comedy to get together, the movie has done its job.  Thankfully, He's Just Not That Into You avoids many of the annoying traps that most romantic comedies suffer, and though not as funny as Love Actually, there are certainly laughs to be had here.  The audience I saw this with ate it up: hook, line and sinker.  

-John