Gwyneth Paltrow stars in He’s Just Not That Into You, a romantic comedy about women who cannot read men. The movie follows a group of friends as they navigate love, rejection, and the occasional breakup. It is a film about the frustration of dating, dressed up as a joke. It is not a great joke.
Trailer, via HBO Max.
The Setup
The premise is simple. Paltrow plays Gigi, a woman whose boyfriend, Ben (Bradley Cooper), is distant and unresponsive. She thinks he is upset about her promotion at work. He is not. He is just not that into her.
Around her, the other characters face similar problems. Jennifer Connelly plays Liz, a woman whose husband is cheating. Scarlett Johansson plays Beth, who is in love with a married man. Julia Roberts plays Mag, a woman who is trying to get back together with her ex. Each storyline is supposed to illustrate a different facet of romantic disappointment.
The Problem With the Joke
The problem with He’s Just Not That Into You is that its central joke is not funny. The title tells you everything you need to know: a man is not interested, and the woman is blind to it. The movie spends ninety minutes repeating this joke in different scenarios. It is a thesis statement, not a punchline.
The film also suffers from a structural issue. It tries to juggle five separate storylines, each with its own emotional arc, but none of them gets enough room to breathe. The result is a series of vignettes that feel rushed and unfinished. The viewer is left with a sense of frustration, but not the catharsis the movie promises.
The Cast Carries What the Script Cannot
The cast is the reason anyone watches this movie. Paltrow is excellent as Gigi, playing her confusion and hurt with genuine warmth. Bradley Cooper is charming as Ben, though his character is written as a passive observer rather than a driver of the plot. Jennifer Connelly brings gravitas to Liz, a woman whose situation is far more serious than the others but treated as a subplot. Scarlett Johansson is magnetic as Beth, even though her storyline is the least developed. Julia Roberts anchors the ensemble as Mag, a woman who is both sympathetic and slightly ridiculous.
The chemistry between Paltrow and Cooper is the best thing in the film. Their scenes together have a natural rhythm that the rest of the movie lacks. When the script lets them talk to each other, the movie clicks. When it forces them into a contrived setup, it falls apart.
The Other Storylines
The supporting stories are less successful. Mag’s ex-boyfriend is a one-note villain, and her storyline is resolved in a way that feels abrupt. Beth’s arc is the most interesting, but the movie never commits to it. Liz’s storyline is the most mature, but it is also the most underdeveloped. None of these characters get the depth they deserve.
Here is a quick comparison of the four main storylines:
| Character | Role | Strengths | Weaknesses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gigi | The protagonist | Most fully realized character | Suffers from the weakest storyline |
| Ben | Gigi’s ex | Good chemistry with Gigi | Passive and underwritten |
| Liz | Married woman | Strongest dramatic weight | Least developed arc |
| Beth | In love with a married man | Most compelling setup | Resolved too quickly |
The Ending
The ending of He’s Just Not That Into You is a mixed bag. It resolves the main storyline between Gigi and Ben, but it does so in a way that feels incomplete. The movie wants to be optimistic, but its cynicism leaks through. The final scene is meant to be warm, but it lands as hollow.
The movie also ends on a note that is not earned. After ninety minutes of frustration, the resolution feels like a cheat. It is not a bad ending, but it is not a good one either.
The Verdict
He’s Just Not That Into You is a competent but flawed romantic comedy. It has a talented cast, a strong lead performance, and a premise that could have worked. But the script fails to deliver on its promise. It is a movie about the pain of dating that refuses to let that pain resonate.
The film is not a disaster, but it is not a success either. It is a middle ground that feels like a missed opportunity. It is a movie that is easy to watch but hard to recommend.
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