Scarlett Johansson: 5 Awesome Performances And 5 That Sucked

2. Anna - He's Just Not That Into You (2009)

Another adaptation of a best-selling book, this time from that odd portion of the bookshop where Chicken Soup and Venusian Women converge in a perfect storm of soundbites and empty, but clever sounding philosophies, the biggest irony of He's Just Not That Into You is that its quality made its title eminently punnable. The film, which is terribly insistent of its own smartness, is nigh-on unpalatable, and driven by the frustratingly enduring idea that beneath the surface of every abusive cad and neglectful bounder is a romantic prince charming just waiting to be turned by the right woman. This is not the case, no matter how good looking all the people in your universe happen to be, and after a while all you really notice is that the film has some seriously questionable views on women, and what their driving urges are and probably should be. Understandably of a film that feels (justifiably) like a stripped down Sex & The City (without the humour or the wit, or the sense to recognise its own situation,) Johansson feels like something of a nominal background character in the HBO show, without the sparkle or the commanding presence that she is more widely known for.