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.

Monthly Watch List: July 2011

Not all of the following movies are highly anticipated or worth a viewing at all, let alone in theaters.  Still, the purpose of these monthly watch lists is to present what is available and offer a conclusion of whether or not to see the film, usually based on the filmmakers’ pedigrees and current consensus about it.  Also important to note while reading or skimming the list is that not all will be released in a theater near you on the mentioned date; take note of the “Limited” label.

Once again, I apologize for the delay in publishing another monthly watch list, but you didn’t miss much in the first weekend.  This month has a considerable amount of limited releases as well as a few big blockbusters or comedies, as July often does.  Some films were omitted from this post, both limited and regular releases, either because of their limited appeal or they were simply unworthy of a mention.  The most anticipated movie of the month, summer, and maybe year is the epic conclusion to the Harry Potter franchise, but there are several other films definitely worth a theater viewing if possible.  Happy July 2011! (However, just wait until you see what July 2012 has in store- check out the Most Anticipated Films page for a ranked list of all highly anticipated or notable upcoming films.)