"The Exception, not the rule.." refers to a line repeated throughout the movie but I thought it could also refer to the recent trend of these all-star cast movies not being equal to the sum of their parts. There is a long history of let downs like _Dr. T and the Women_. Though this movie isn't great, it is at least enjoyable and bucks that trend. It is very slow starting with an awkward attempt to introduce you to the interwoven cast of relationship misfits with very few laughs. But it does improve with Scarlett Johansson turning in one of her better performances. You may not like what she stands for in this movie, but she makes you believe it anyway. As you look at the credits you see a list of names that have starred in many movies but you will be surprised at who "stars" in this movie. It is Ginnifer Goodwin playing Gigi, the hopelessly gullible one-date machine. She is the bright spot in this movie and her scenes with Alex (Justin Long) provide enough spark to keep the flame of the rest of the film burning. I'm not sure if the script was written for her to be the focus or it just developed into that but she was excellent. Look for Kumar as a gay friend of Mary(Drew Barrymore in a just above cameo status appearance) and a nice short performance for Kris Kristofferson. The movie ends with the neat wrap-up for all the characters with a kind of _Love Actually_ feel. Some get what they thought they wanted and others get their freedom, but everyone seems happy. Overall I think this movie lacks an identity, not sure whether it is a comedy, drama, or social commentary as evidenced by the scene where the editor has decided to cut from a heart attack at a wedding reception to a party scene with a cold transition. Just strange editing.