I saw it - I didn't like the book much but liked the "star power" of all the actors involved. I liked it - it was a different take on the book, I liked how everyone was connected and I liked the conflict of characters.. It wasn't exactly 100% cliche like most chick flicks...
Most everyone I know who saw it totally hated it though.
I'm one of the ones who hated it...I felt like the characters were just too broadly drawn and I cringed every time certain characters had screen time, even though we were supposed to empathize with them.
There were some funny parts that made me laugh, but overall, I was pretty disappointed, and I usually love chick flicks, no matter how cheesy.
I've never read the book. I wasn't impressed. I was glad I had a gift certificate to the theater and didn't actually spend my money on it.
SPOILER ALERT | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
It seemed like the conclusion was contrary to what I thought the message of the book was - but then again, I've never read the book.
Like, when that bartender said he wasn't into the lonely girl (I'm horrible with names), but then they got together anyway. I thought the point of the book was that if a guy says he's not into you, or pays attention to other girls instead of you, then he's not into you. But I felt like the people who made the movie felt like we expected a happy ending, so they created one for her, when the guy said "I was just so afraid of my feelings, I couldn't show them." HELLO? Isn't that what so many other movies say, and what this movie was supposed to debunk? And what about Jennifer Anniston's character - she was finally OK and accepting that her man didn't want to get married, but then at the last minute he proposed anyway. What's that supposed to say - that your inherent loveliness will persuade a guy to go against his convictions, so after you break up with him all you have to do is sit around and wait for him to decide you're right.
If it was just a romantic comedy, I could forgive that stuff because I expect it. But I thought this movie was supposed to be so different and so self-aware. And it wasn't. It was like any other romcom.
And I would just like to say, I went to go see the movie with a friend, and she said that she'd read and loved the book, but then when we got out of the movie, we sat in the car for another half hour before parting ways. Because she wanted to spend a half hour trying to figure out if a guy who doesn't call and always breaks dates wants more from her than just a booty call. It was all I could do to ask "did you learn nothing from this book you supposedly read and loved??" - maybe it was because the movie didn't even follow the gospel of the book
-- Edited by Kelly at 17:44, 2009-03-02
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I've never read the book. I wasn't impressed. I was glad I had a gift certificate to the theater and didn't actually spend my money on it.
SPOILER ALERT | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
It seemed like the conclusion was contrary to what I thought the message of the book was - but then again, I've never read the book.
Like, when that bartender said he wasn't into the lonely girl (I'm horrible with names), but then they got together anyway. I thought the point of the book was that if a guy says he's not into you, or pays attention to other girls instead of you, then he's not into you. But I felt like the people who made the movie felt like we expected a happy ending, so they created one for her, when the guy said "I was just so afraid of my feelings, I couldn't show them." HELLO? Isn't that what so many other movies say, and what this movie was supposed to debunk? And what about Jennifer Anniston's character - she was finally OK and accepting that her man didn't want to get married, but then at the last minute he proposed anyway. What's that supposed to say - that your inherent loveliness will persuade a guy to go against his convictions, so after you break up with him all you have to do is sit around and wait for him to decide you're right.
If it was just a romantic comedy, I could forgive that stuff because I expect it. But I thought this movie was supposed to be so different and so self-aware. And it wasn't. It was like any other romcom.
And I would just like to say, I went to go see the movie with a friend, and she said that she'd read and loved the book, but then when we got out of the movie, we sat in the car for another half hour before parting ways. Because she wanted to spend a half hour trying to figure out if a guy who doesn't call and always breaks dates wants more from her than just a booty call. It was all I could do to ask "did you learn nothing from this book you supposedly read and loved??" - maybe it was because the movie didn't even follow the gospel of the book
-- Edited by Kelly at 17:44, 2009-03-02
I thought the same thing too! I immediately thought the ending seemed to totally negate the "message" of what they were trying to tell us about guys are simple and don't send mixed messages.
The messages seemed to be (highlight for spoiler-y stuff): He's just not that into you because he has told you he's not...but, wait! maybe he is that into you, you just have to make him realize it by not talking to him. And if you just stop acting like you want to get married, the guy will ask you to marry him.
It was kind of annoying and made women seem like really clingy creatures.
Whew, I guess I disliked it more than I thought! LOL
Also, their version of Baltimore was really, really funny. That is NOT the Baltimore I know.
I liked it, just because it was cute and made you think a little. But you guys are right, the script and the ending were stupid and formulaic, a TYPICAL February movie. The conclusions and morality drawn by the end were just soo syrupy and predictable. NO surprises, no twists, not even all that realistic.
I did like the idea that if a guy is into you, "HE WILL MAKE IT HAPPEN" as bartender Alex says as he goes into a story about he called up every number of a girl with the same name to find the actual girl he wanted to ask out. I didn't like that he said something about how there's always another girl out there with smaller pores. Ouch!!
The most ridiculous line was Scarlett Johanssen's Anna saying, "You have an ass that makes me want to dry hump" and that it was followed with Ben saying, "I think I am in love." or something. I hated that part!
I did find some parts made me raise my hand and say "guilty!" like when Anna goes to hang out and be cuddly with Kevin Connelly's character after getting the blow off from Ben, twice. Think this tendency goes both ways, but it was funny.
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I didn't read the book, but after seeing the previews for the movie I thought it would be great. My friend and I were pretty much underwhelmed. There were some funny parts, overall it was entertaining, but something was missing for me. :\
ugh, I just rented this last night and did not like it! I think it freaked my husband out. He kept saying, "is this really what girls do/talk about?!?!"
I'm like uh, yeah. I mean, gah, and how many of us know girls like Gigi? I cringed everytime she came on screen. I liked Justin Long's character up until the end, when they flipped everything he said, sigh.
The movie left me feeling sad, which is not what I wanted out of a romantic comedy. Not that it wasn't true, but the way we can behave in relationships and lose ourselves is not so much fun to watch without more comedy:/
Most characters annoyed me and made me feel sorry for women in general. It portrayed women as desperate (Bradley Cooper was talked into cheating by Scarlett J. and his wife's neurosis & pressure to marry, Jennifer should be happy without being married, etc. etc.). That Gigi girl was completely hopeless and I wanted to shake her. I liked Drew B's character and wish they had shown more of her. The ending reminded me of my ex, who seemed to give me things not when I asked for them, but when he came to terms with them, which sometimes took a looong time. I got so used to being patient in that regard that this really hit home. Although I don't entirely follow all that babble, I do agree that if a guy wants to make it happen, he will. But that doesn't mean that ladies can't do anything to facilitate that process.
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I just saw this movie last night. I did not read the book so I had nothing to compare it to. But I did not like the movie at all. I thought it was boring and it made women look needy and desperate.
I completely agree with you Kel. I recently saw it and the only reason I watched the whole thing was that I kept waiting for it to get better. Unfortunately it really didn't!
I almost went to see it in the theater and am so glad I just waiting for it to come out on dvd. Even then I felt cheated out of my money!
I thought it was a piece of garbage for the most part. First of all, they made women look so pathetic. I hated Gigi's - they way they had her sitting by the phone, checking the connection, going out w/any d-bag that would look her way. She was so over the top needy it disgusted me and I kept yelling at the tv.
I love Bradley Cooper, which is why i wanted to see the movie, and his character disgusted me. I hated how he wanted to have his cake and eat it too - cheating w/SJ and still wanting to work it out w/his wife. And his wife didn't even seem to care he cheated, but more that he was smoking. WTF. I'm glad he wound up alone in the end.
I hated ScarJo's character, because I hate girls like her and know they exist. Girls who don't care at all if a man is in a relationship or married and egg the guy on to cheat. Disgusting.
I just hated how pathetic the movie made people in relationships seem. I'm glad I didn't want it w/my boyfriend.
The movie left me feeling sad, which is not what I wanted out of a romantic comedy. Not that it wasn't true, but the way we can behave in relationships and lose ourselves is not so much fun to watch without more comedy:/
I agree. It left me sad...the only part that saved the movie (a little lol) was that Gigi got together with the bartender...but that just confused me. I left the movie confused on what it was trying to say and it just made it a waste of time in my opinion.
-- Edited by luckyclover on Monday 21st of September 2009 12:00:03 PM
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