Been there, recognised him

One good thing about this writing this blog is that it allows me to justify occasional excessive eating and drinking, as well as all sorts of other dubious indulgences as “research for the blog”. Or at least that’s what I told myself yesterday as I hired a copy of He’s Just Not That Into You (along with The Reader – surely one of the most bizarre movie double-bills ever) from the DVD store.



Leaving aside the issue of how you can make a comedy out of a self-help book, this movie was always going to be equivalent of fast food. A stodgy hit of sugar and empty kilojoules that gives the viewer a quick rush but ultimately leaves them unsatisfied. It’s not that it’s bad per se (compared to say, Music & Lyrics, it’s a work of genius) but it’s predictable, fails to develop the characters beyond cookie-cutter stereotypes and sells women short. Personally I’d like to think there are more positions for we single gals to approach relationships from than just desperate and desperately stupid.

The movie did make me laugh however. Not because of the dialogue (so-so) but because I have come across every single one of those men: the super-keen guy who says he’ll call but doesn’t; the one-date wonder; the online Casanova; the commitment-phobe defacto; the cheating rat (in my case the same defacto); the advice dispensing friend turned love interest, and yes, even the sweet doormat guy who won’t take a hint. Yep, been there, done that. Sometimes more than once.

Again these male characters are recognised “types” but it does make me think that the movie’s screenwriters have hit the nail on the head when they advise women to think of their experiences “as the rule, rather than the exception”. Credit where credit is due.