The rule is generally that romantic comedies are cute, but offer little logic and sometimes less substance. He's Just Not That Into You is the exception to the rule.

The film follows a group of interconnected people as they deal with being single, being married, being dumped, and of course, figuring out if someone is just not that into you.

The movie is based on the extremely popular book by Sex and the City writers Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo. It had to be difficult to adapt a self-help book into a narrative film, but screenwriters Abby Kohn and Marc Silverstein (Never Been Kissed) rose to the challenge.

This film boasts one of the most star-studded casts in recent memory: Ben Affleck, Jennifer Aniston, Jennifer Connolly, Drew Barrymore and Scarlett Johansson, to name a few. Each of their stories is interesting, but despite their star power, they sit on the periphery of the main story, played out well by lesser-known actors Ginnifer Goodwin and Justin Long.

Goodwin's Gigi is an eternal dating optimist who analyzes and then re-analyzes everything men say to her. Alex (Long) is the brutally honest purveyor of the title's advice. He becomes her love guru, explaining to her why the actions taken by most men she meets indicate they just aren't that into her.

It clearly draws from some of the best of its genre's predecessors, like When Harry Met Sally and especially Love Actually. Take away the accents and the Christmas cheer and the two films are incredibly similar.

Undoubtedly, a lot of men will begrudgingly accompany their girlfriends to see this movie, but they shouldn't get too distressed over it. There's something there for them, too. Though initially the focus of the film is on women and how inadequately they read signals sent by men, it soon becomes clear the men sending these cryptic signals aren't any better at reading the signals they're receiving.

The characters can be a bit stereotypical at times, but that's sort of the point. The characters are vague enough that most audience members -- men and women -- can probably see themselves in at least one of the protagonists. That underdevelopment hurts some characters more than others. Drew Barrymore's character's story is especially underwhelming and could have been cut altogether. The film could also use a little tightening. A length of more than two hours is a bit excessive for a rom-com.

With a stellar cast and a charming story, He's Just Not that Into You is a rare treat: a funny, enjoyable romantic comedy.

Grade: B-