REEL CRITIC:

The angst experienced by financially well-off Caucasian young adults living in big cities as they search for love and romance seems to be a bottomless well of inspiration for television and film writers. “Friends,” “Seinfeld,” and certainly “Sex and the City” have all been wildly successful documenting the lives of people with no real problems other than those they create themselves.

“He’s Just Not That Into You” is the latest venture to follow this well-worn path. Set in Baltimore, the film tells of the sometimes intertwined romantic adventures of several attractive, successful young people. The underlying theme is the convoluted message women receive from a very early age regarding how to interpret the words and actions of men.

Searching for love in all the wrong places is Gigi (Ginnifer Goodwin). She meets up-and-coming real estate agent Conor (Kevin Connolly) in a local watering hole and obsesses over his empty promise to call her. Offering coaching and counseling is her married co-worker Janine (Jennifer Connelly).

Eventually she is befriended by Alex (Justin Long), the owner of another local bar whose brutal honesty regarding men’s behavior is a welcome respite from the relentlessly hopeful advice she receives from her girlfriends.

Meanwhile Conor is completely fixated on his sexy former lover and now platonic friend Anna (Scarlett Johansson). However, Anna has met an intriguing married man Ben (Bradley Cooper) who just happens to be Janine’s husband.

In the meantime, Anna has talked Conor into advertising his real estate business in a newspaper catering to the gay community where her good friend Mary (Drew Barrymore) works. Mary of course has her own relationship problems and is coached through them by her flamboyant co-workers.

Also in the mix are Neil (Ben Affleck) and Beth (Jennifer Aniston), a loving couple that have been together for seven years but are still unmarried. Neil claims he couldn’t be more devoted to Beth, but doesn’t feel marriage signifies a deeper commitment. Beth has reluctantly accepted this arrangement but resorts to an ultimatum when her younger sister announces her marriage.

“He’s Just Not That Into You” is often very funny and at times heartwarming. The actors are attractive, and they all live in upscale brownstones and apartments. The city of Baltimore serves as a beautiful and unusual backdrop for these intertwined stories and is a welcome break from Manhattan, where many of these productions are usually set.

The various vignettes are somewhat predictable, but this is not necessarily a negative for a romantic comedy. The characters, especially the conniving males, are sometimes a bit smug in their generalizations regarding women. However, this is not unrealistic for young people trying to find their way in the world.

Perhaps in these troubled times a light romantic comedy might be just what we all need. The film opened No. 1 at the box office. Judging by the reaction of the mostly female audience in the theater where I viewed the film, “He’s Not Just That Into You” delivers what it promises.

VAN NOVACK is the assistant vice president of institutional research and assessment at Cal State Long Beach and lives in Huntington Beach with his wife, Elizabeth.