Review: 'Into You' Has Plenty To Love

'He's Just Not That Into You' (PG-13)(out of four)

If you've never seen an episode of "Sex and the City," gone out on a blind date or waited by the phone for a call that never arrives from last night's date, you probably won't find an ounce of humor or relate to anything in "He's Just Not That Into You." However, most of us, women and men, can answer yes to at least one of the aforementioned situations.

Director Ken Kwapis ("The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants") describes the movie in linear notes to the soundtrack (which is worth a listen on its own, by the way) by saying "there are no heroes or villains here, just people like you and me navigating the rocky shoals of life and love." It couldn't be truer and that's what makes the film so relatable.

The ensemble cast -- a host of big names and some smaller names -- play 20- and 30-somethings living in Baltimore, although it makes no difference if they were there or New York, Boston, Los Angeles or Miami, or Scranton, Pa., for that matter.

Jennifer Aniston is paired with Ben Affleck as a couple who have been dating for seven years, but never married. Jennifer Connelly and Bradley Cooper are already married and in the midst of building their dream house. While she's content, he's questioning his decision on settling down. Justin Long is a bartender with some great dating advice and the bearer of the bad news, "he's just not that into you," as he intersects with Ginnifer Goodwin who has a series of great hopes for boyfriend bliss that never materialize.

Scarlett Johansson, looking absolutely fantastic, plays the most eligible bachelorette who can get anyone she wants, but ends up with a married man, while Drew Barrymore as her friend, can only seem to bond with a mate on MySpace or text message. On the sidelines is Kevin Connelly, the real estate agent who plays the field, but deep down just wants to settle with one woman.

Patchworked into a chick-lit movie with characters from the nonfiction self-help book that took its title from a phrase appropriately made famous from an episode of "Sex and the City," this is the "Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus" of the 21st century. Although there are 100 ways to meet (online), stay connected (e-mail, Facebook), fall in love and get married, the folks in "He's Just Not That Into You," like many of a lost lovelorn soul, still haven't found their niche.

There are stark truths that will elicit hearty laughs and quiet chuckles from the audience. Sometimes the laughter may be a bit on the nervous side as if everyone is sharing in a self-help group meeting saying, "Hey, that happened to me once, or twice, or . . . "

A drawback of the film is that the sometimes it can be unbelievably Hollywood. Would Kevin Connelly's nerdy character really be able to nab the sensuous and sinfully dateable yoga instructor? Would the cadre of stereotypical gay men be so at the ready at the perfect moment to offer sage advice on yet another heterosexual romantic crisis?

"He's Just Not That Into You" stakes no claims that it actually will solve the world's love crisis, just that it does exist. And maybe if you're able to read the signs, your heart can follow the road map to some sort of harmony -- at least for a little while.