Friends With Benefits
Now in Theaters Everywhere!
FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS
Reviewed by John Delia and Marisa Ings
Cast: Justin Timberlake, Mila Kunis, Patricia Clarkson, Jenna Elfman, Bryan Greenberg, Richard Jenkins and Woody Harrelson
Directed by: Will Gluck
MPAA Rating: R for sexual content, language and some drug material
Genre: Comedy and Romance
Running Time: 1hr 49min
Opening Date: July 22nd, 2011
Distributed by: Screen Gems
What saves this remix from taking a nosedive into oblivion is the cast. Friends With Benefits’ Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake are the winners here who outdo Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher in their attempt to jazz up friendship with sex in No Strings Attached. So if you haven’t seen the latter, then don’t miss Friends With Benefits, it’s a stitch.
Dylan’s (Timberlake) a young star as a blog Art Director in LA who seems to be getting along just fine with his fellow workers. On a lark he takes up an offer by New York headhunter Jamie (Kunis) to interview for an opening at GQ magazine to head up their Art Department. Dylan gets offered the job and after a lot of coaxing by Jamie decides to take it, but on one condition, she be his friend while he transitions. When their other relationships don’t pan out sexually, Dylan and Jamie turn to a mutual bedroom solution to that problem.
Marisa Says: Both Timberlake and Kunis have good chemistry between each other and in just about every scene Woody Harrelson is incredible. His role as a straight guy playing a gay man is surprisingly the most non-clichéd part of the movie. Harrelson’s over the top persona is the root of many of the films laugh-out-loud moments.
John Says: I agree with Marisa, Timberlake and Kunis save the film with their chemistry for each other. The relationship has a nice romantic touch that really differs from the raunchy one between Portman and Kutcher in No Strings Attached.  The lead-in between the two in Friends With Benefits has a more realistic connection with Kunis’s character Jamie being more of a crutch for Dylan in the city of high energy and fast lane business. And as far as the sex goes, it may not be as SPICY as Kutcher and Portman, but there’s more tenderness and passion here.
Marisa Says: I disagree with John, I thought this film would be a copycat of No Strings Attached, which I’m sure many of you think, but it’s not completely. Don’t get me wrong, there are some similarities but this film is much more light-hearted and heavily comedic than the previous film of the same concept. While I had my doubts, Friends with Benefits actually entertains.
Marisa Says: The first half of the film comprises so many laugh-out-loud moments then a sharp turn completely changes its course from anti-romantic comedy to clichéd romantic comedy leaving many passengers in the dust. The been-there-done-that second half of the film in which the boy meets a girl, sparks fly, one of them makes a mistake, problems are resolved, and they live happily ever after. Ultimately, Friends with Benefits follows the exact same formula as the movies it pokes fun at.
John Says: Director Will Gluck uses a lighter touch with his actors not overdoing the sexuality to make it the only interest in the film. His ability to use Kunis’s comedic torch to catch Timbelake’s Dylan soft naiveté off guard makes many scenes funny that would ordinarily be filler in most films. And when he brings in a scene that would turn most audience into a remorseful mood, he uses it to tighten Jamie and Dylan’s relationship even more.
John Says: Should you go see the film at the theater? For those who have seen No Strings Attached it’s a maybe; for those who haven’t make it a date night. Friends With Benefits is certainly worth the watch.
Friends With Benefits is rated R for sexual content, language and some drug material and it is no film to take immature youngsters.
John Says: FINAL ANALYSIS:Â Friends puts comedy in the bedroom. (B-)
Marisa Says: FINAL GRADE: Enjoyable but ironically predictable. (C+)
          John & Marisa ” Just Friends”
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