Excellence vs. Commonplace

Recently, I have enjoyed several excellent films, including Angelina Jolie in The Changeling, Frank Langella in Frost/Nixon, Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler, and the entire country of Indian in Slumdog Millionaire. I did walk out on The Reader, but my reaction prepared my movie buddy for staying the course. She said that although she understood why that scene is included, she wishes, too, that the blatant nude sex scene between the older woman and the teenaged boy had been omitted. I laughed my way through New in Town, with Harry Connick and Rene Z, which had great comedic scenes that reminded me of my Scandinavian ancestors and tapioca, which is still one of my favorite desserts.

However, sitting through He's Just Not That Into You creates a stark contrast to the films in the excellent category, with pretty people acting the all-too-common roles of what passes for today's work force, wasting endless business hours each day with personal issues, hooking up with happy hour bar people on the quest to find Mr/Ms Right, and skimming superficially through serious life issues. Every stereotype imaginable is included, even the girlfriend hiding in the closet while the married man has sex with his wife on his office desk.

My mind wandered as the too pat plot moved ponderously toward the end, and I was struck by how "old" the female stars looked: Drew Barrymore needed the same face she wears in the camo cosmetic ads currently showing on TV because the make-up artist on this film did her no favors. Jennifer Connolly seemed to be wearing an unattractively plain face that was pinched and angry-looking. It was easy to see why the "husband" in the film preferred the youthful and overtly attractive Scarlett Whatever her last name is with whom he has an affair.

Truth be told, the story wasn't even that funny, although there were some 20-somethings down the row who laughed that high-pitched girly giggle that is the phoniest sound on the planet these days. The book IS funny because each reader creates his/her own cast of characters, perhaps filling in with people already in their lives, which adds to the humor. The film, however, just doesn't work on any level.

My admiration goes to the two men who accompanied their womenfolk to the morning showing, affirming their manhood by sitting through a total chick-flick that did not especially portray men in a favorable light. These guys are just so into their women on Valentine's weekend!