Film Review: Friends With Benefits (2011)

It’s a shame that No Strings Attached (2011) came out before the Friends With Benefits (2011) because the latter is superior in just about every way.  Natalie Portman greatly helped the former but could not save it from mediocrity, at best, and Ashton Kutcher is cringe-worthy but continues to land leading roles due to his box-office appeal.  On the other hand, Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake are very likable characters and display solid on-screen chemistry that draw the audience into their affair and root for the inevitable coupling.  Besides the lead pairs, the latter film’s supporting cast is outstanding, even down to some great cameo appearances, which makes the movie much more enjoyable.  Although both films have nothing really new for the rom-com genre and remain predictable, Friends With Benefits is far more charming, witty, and sincere than No Strings Attached; in fact, the character development and their backgrounds care to reach beyond caricature and the film delves into harrowing emotions for a time.  Do not expect a laugh-out-loud-the-entire-runtime R-rated comedy; it is generally funny but sporadically hilarious.  Similar to director Will Gluck’s Easy A (2010), praised by critics and audiences alike, this movie likes to poke fun at other romantic comedies but ultimately sort of becomes one itself.  Still, while it pretty much has a by-the-book overarching plot/arc, Friends With Benefits easily ranks up with the better romantic comedies of the year so far as it is very likeable with noteworthy performances and sharp writing to match its energetic pace.

 

The film begins with the “emotionally unavailable” Dylan and “emotionally damaged” Jamie getting dumped by their respective girlfriend and boyfriend, after which they proclaim they will remain emotionally distant in future relationships.  However, when headhunter Jamie recruits Los Angeles native Dylan after he flies into New York for his interview with GQ for its art director position, the two instantly establish a mutual bond without revealing any attraction or emotion yet their chemistry is undeniable.  This new friendship blossoms over the next few weeks as Dylan settles into the hustle and bustle of a less-than-spacious New York.  Eventually, the two friends, mutual haters of implausible Hollywood romantic comedies, communicate their desire and need for physical connection and decide to have sex without emotional attachments or commitment.  However, their agreement, though successfully employed, only lasts for a little while and they start to look elsewhere for real intimacy.  Nonetheless, despite trying to remain close friends after having sex, their relationship becomes increasingly complicated when they begin to realize how they truly feel about each other.

So how is this different from No Strings Attached?  Well, on paper it is not much different at all.  However, with two charismatic leads and better, more natural character developments, Friends With Benefits is a fresh and lively take on the well-worn path taken by romantic comedies, even if it does not add much to the formula itself or have any real surprises; most viewers of this film will want to see the romance played out as usual anyway.  As the story progresses and reveals Jamie and especially Dylan’s backgrounds, their motivations and actions make more sense and their relationship becomes fairly plausible.  Whereas No Strings Attached is heavy-handed in how it forces its two leads together right from the outset when they were just teenagers and never fails to neglect the obvious plot points and clichés, only becoming partly emotional in the end.  Friends With Benefits cannot escape all the conventions either and has enough of its own clichés, but it is actually fun to watch and surprisingly touching at times.  Furthermore, this movie has an upbeat heartbeat, whereas the former film is less-than-memorable and I cannot even recall much of a soundtrack in that one.

Of course, the film greatly benefits from virtually pitch-perfect lead performances.  Kunis exudes the gorgeous allure and delivers the sharp personality with ease as well as displaying natural comedic timing; this is almost a given with her track record. Those of you who still feel that Timberlake cannot and should not act need to stop and respect the fact that he can play certain parts very well.  For instance he was absolutely perfect as the sleazy, Machiavellian Napster founder Sean Parker in The Social Network (2011), and he definitely has a knack for comedy as well, evidenced by his ability fire banter and jokes away confidently.  Unlike his thinly written character in Bad Teacher (2011), Timberlake delicately displays more dramatic range in this movie, particularly when he returns to L.A. to visit his family – a story that could have a heartbreaking film of its own (more on that later).  Together, Kunis and Timberlake blend rather well as emotionally troubled individuals who fall in love.  If almost anyone else had been cast as Dylan and/or Jamie, then the film’s charm would diminish considerably.

In addition to Kunis and Timberlake, Friends With Benefits has a stellar supporting cast that shines and threatens to steal the show at every moment on-screen.  Probably most significantly, Richard Jenkins gives a brilliant and poignant performance as Dylan’s father Mr. Harper, a man who suffers from Alzheimer’s Disease.  He deftly displays the delicate balance between moments of clarity and instances of outrage and confusion from his broken min.  His performance is so engaging you just want to hug him and may forget he is simply acting; furthermore, it is a primary reason for elevating my score half-a-point – for such real-life emotion to find its way into a romantic comedy not simply as a comedic or plot device but in a meaningful way is remarkable, as it is essential to character development and arguably the core of the story.  Jenna Elfman also turns in a notably dramatic performance as Dylan’s sister Annie, a single-mother who looks out for their dad.  Her guiding presence is key to the story; luckily Elfman boldly commands it.  Patricia Clarkson, who plays as Jamie’s typically drunk and frisky mother Lorna, adds levity with her comedic A-game and also brings some tenderness in her peculiarly endearing way.  Woody Harrelson plays the one-dimensional character Tommy, the macho gay GQ sports editor, but it is hilarious.  Modern Family youngster Nolan Gould amazing as Dylan’s nephew Sam; he basically plays the same lovable dork kind of character that he does on Modern Family (as Luke Dunphy) – his valiant attempts at magic tricks steal those scenes.

A number of established actors and celebrities make amusing cameo appearances throughout the movie.  Emma Stone and Andy Samberg portray Dylan and Jamie’s ex-girlfriend and ex-boyfriend in the opening sequence.  Shaun White shows up a few times but plays himself as both a nice guy and vindictive against Dylan.  As entertaining as those appearances are, I Love You, Man (2009) co-stars Jason Segel and Rashida Jones give the best cameos in a faux film-within-a-film – they play two typical Hollywood caricatures in romantic comedy that Dylan and Jamie watch and criticize (i.e. ridiculously over-the-top and palm trees outside “Grand Central Station”).  The excellent supporting cast and cameo appearances definitely enhance the entertainment value of Friends With Benefits.

Not everyone will enjoy this romantic comedy.  It is certainly deserving of its R-rating with brief nudity and vulgar language throughout the movie.  Besides, given that it is a standard romantic comedy story, underneath it all, the target audience immediately shrinks.  Still, even casual moviegoers ought to enjoy some part(s) of it, unless they find the concept itself irredeemable. For those who do find such movies entertaining or claim the genre as their favorite, they will like this one; in addition, fellas who get dragged to this movie by their dates should also at least find it entertaining and far less nauseating than most Hollywood rom-coms.  Friends With Benefits is an above-average romantic comedy that gives a stylish, fresh take on common conventions of the genre, thanks to all-around quality performances and snappy writing.  If you had to pick between No Strings Attached and this film, definitely see this one; it is actually worth your time, but perhaps only at a matinee/discount price or as a rental.

Friends With Benefits – 7.5/10

 

 

 

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