“It’s a Physical Act, Like Playing Tennis”
July 30, 2011
Friends with Benefits
Directed by Will Gluck
Starring: Mila Kunis, Justin Timberlake and Patricia Clarkson
Runtime: 2:00
Warning: May Contain Spoilers
If four years of business school has taught me anything, it’s that timing is everything. Friends with Benefits is a romantic comedy where two friends decide that they can have sex without emotion or any of the complication that comes from a relationship.Sounds familiar doesn’t it? Of course it does; unfortunately for FWB, No Strings Attached was released just six months ago. And we aren’t talking about two similiar movies, we’re talking about the SAME movie; unrealistically beautiful characters, a supporting cast of well known comedic actors, a scene where we watch them see each other naked for the first time, a crazy parent who gets in the way of things and a series of cute dates that makes it quite obvious to everyone but them that they’re falling in love.
See my point? So not only does Friends With Benefits have to establish itself as a decent movie, but it was now forced to compete and prove why it was better than it’s predecessor.
Despite the overwhelming comparisons between these two flicks, there were some minor differences. Friends With Benefits seemed a bit more realistic; Mila and Justin weren’t life long friends destined for each other like Natalie and Ashton, but rather they were new co-workers and Mila was Justin’s only friend after relocating across the country. Not only did it make the attempt at being slightly more realistic, but it also tried to dig a little deeper. In No Strings Attached, Ashton has daddy issues because his dad won’t stop sleeping with his girlfriends. Problematic, yes, but tear worthy it is not. Justin on the other hand, suffers from a father who has fallen victim to Alzheimer’s. His dad has to be reminded that his precious boat has been sold because he is in no condition to drive it, and even worse, retold that his wife left his many years ago. Finally, without giving away anything, Mila and Justin get into a vicious fight whereas Ashton and Natalie fall apart for other reasons.
Differences aside, it’s still the same core movie. Therefore, what it comes down to are performances and chemistry. Mila and Justin have chemistry together, but not as much as Natalie and Ashton did. Where Friends with Benefits does reign though, is in it’s two small, yet great, surprise breakout performances. Bryan Greenberg (Jake for all my fellow One Tree Hill fans) plays an entirely different kind of character than what we are use to seeing, and it suits him well. The real treat however is Nolan Gould, the youngest Dunphy from Modern Family. He plays a young aspiring magician, and a big source of laughs as Justin’s adorable nephew. There are also a bunch of minor cameos from some of our favorite laugh out loud performers.
Friends with Benefits is good; although it starts off a little slow, it picks up and tries to deliver a movie that is not only a funny romantic comedy, but one that scratches the surface of something a little deeper. But the real question is, is better than No Strings Attached? Not in my opinion. I thought No Strings Attached conjured up more laughs, better pop culture references and, as is the nature of going first, didn’t feel as recycled as Friends with Benefits did. Regardless, both films are fun, mindless entertainment that will make you chuckle on more than one occassion, and I think everyone can agree that whether it’s Natalie and Ashton or Mila and Justin, those are two good looking combos everyone would like to see benefitting.
