Rating:  

Starring: Justin Timberlake, Mila Kunis, Patricia Clarkson, Jenna Elfman, Bryan Greenberg, Richard Jenkins, Woody Harrelson, Nolan Gould, Andy Samberg, Emma Stone, Shaun White, Masi Oka.
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Director: Will Gluck
Rating: R
Running Time: 109 Mins.
Release Date: July 22, 2011
Home Video Release Date: December 2, 2011
Box Office: $55.8 Million
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Castle Rock Entertainment, Olive Bridge Entertainment, Zucker Productions, and Screen Gems.

Written by: Keith Merryman, David A. Newman, and Will Gluck; Story by Harley Peyton, Keith Merryman, and David A. Newman.

Recently dumped on different coasts, Dylan (Justin Timberlake) and Jamie (Mila Kunis)are on a collision course to meeting, becoming friends, and then attempting to have an emotion-free, friends only sexual relationship in the new romantic comedy, “Friends With Benefits”.

Those who have a casual following of movie releases may immediately be experiencing a sense of deja vu. In fact, “Friends With Benefits” arrives on the heels of January’s Natalie Portman/Ashton Kutcher hit rom-com “No Strings Attached.” And the two films do share some history together, as both films went into production with the same title. “No Strings Attached” became the name of the Portman/Kutcher film, when director Ivan Reitman agreed to change the name of his film to diffuse a legal battle brewing between rival studios. And while I liked “No Strings Attached”, for awhile…I had tremendous affinity for “Friends With Benefits”. Well, for an hour or so that is.

Dylan runs a pop culture website that draws around 6 million hits per month and as a result, he has been targeted as a person of interest to take over the coveted and lucrative position as art director for GQ Magazine in New York City. There to pick him up at the airport is Jamie, an executive headhunter/recruiter, who has been tasked with picking up Dylan and showing him around New York City. Dylan is skeptical with the whole experience, loving his life on the west coast and the time spent with his co-workers, and interviewing because of the opportunity in traveling to New York City for the first time. I mean it is GQ Magazine after all.

Dylan kills in the interview and becomes fast friends with the affable and charming Jamie, as she tries to convince him that New York City is perfect and exactly where he needs to be. Of course, it is hardly a spoiler in sharing with you that Dylan accepts the job and without a friend in town, he and Jamie spend all their time together. One evening, while hanging out at Jamie’s apartment and watching a cringe-inducing romantic comedy favorite of Jamie’s (starring Jason Segel and Rashida Jones in inspired cameos), Dylan and Jamie begin mocking the contrivances and ridiculousness of romantic comedies in general. Then inspiration hits and Dylan and Jamie agree to have the titular relationship…no emotions, no jealousy, and none of the trappings that force relationships down the awkwardness that emotions bring into things.

“Friends With Benefits”, saddled with four screenwriters, nonetheless moves at a brisk and winning pace. It is also a joy to watch Timberlake and Kunis embody the cynical, witty tone that director Will Gluck is aiming for here. In their first true leading roles, the young stars establish themselves as strong comedic actors, able to hold their own in a film built around them. As Dylan and Jamie become better friends and start to have their trysts more frequently, Kunis and Timberlake are terrific in creating wonderful chemistry and keeping each other on their toes. Building a friendship that feels real is a key to all of this working and that is where Timberlake and Kunis better the previous pairing of Portman and Kutcher’s Emma and Adam, who were nice to watch in “No Strings Attached”, but never found the connection that Dylan and Jamie find here.

Director Will Gluck handles the material well and conjures up some fearless work from his cast, including Patricia Clarkson and Woody Harrelson. Clarkson stars as Jamie’s sexually charged mother, channeling a bit of the hilarious performance she gave alongside Stanley Tucci in Gluck’s previous film “Easy A”. Woody Harrelson is ridiculous as the enthusiastic and unabashedly proud gay sports editor, Tommy, who commutes via speedboat and has no filter on any thought or comment his mind may conjure up. Emma Stone and Andy Samberg share in a nice cameo to open the film and with so much of this film carrying a sardonic wit about itself, it is gravely disappointing that eventually the film caves in on itself in the final third of the film.

Depending on how much you enjoy the first 60 minutes or so will decide how well you can buy into the more serious elements the film employs over that last third of the film. Without spoiling anything, a left-of-center subplot enters into the proceedings and drains the film of its charm rather quickly. To see the film dovetail in that regard is a shame with so much to like preceding it. On the plus side, it does bring into the mix a favorite actor of mine, Richard Jenkins, who arrives in these moments playing Dylan’s father. Although burdened with a thankless and groan-inducing storyline here, Jenkins’ presence is always a welcome site for me.

“Friends With Benefits” is far from a perfect film and that it eventually becomes what it makes great pains to avoid becoming is a rather glaring disappointment. And yet, I was engaged and invested with these characters. In its finer moments, “Friends With Benefits” brought to mind some of the more memorable romantic comedies of the past. The classic 1980s film, “…about last night” came to mind as I watched this and while that is a much better film overall, “Friends With Benefits” survives with a believable charm that carries you through its mawkish and shameless turn.

Should I See It?

YES

Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake are terrific in their roles and establish themselves as good actors with great comedic timing. The connections they make through their characters are fun to see unfold.

A great deal of “Friends With Benefits” is outright hilarious, delivering razor sharp dialogue and a healthy dose of cynicism. Hopefully, that will be enough to carry you through the more dramatic bend the story takes.

Frankly, if you like more edgy, R-rated romantic comedies, step right up.

Semisonic’s “Closing Time” will be stuck in your head for days afterwards.

NO

This is gleefully R-rated. Aiming for a realness that it complains about in other romantic comedies, the film has frequent cursing, lots of sexual content and nudity, and is not the softer romantic comedy some may be expecting. All of this was of no concern to me, but the possibility of offending some interested parties clearly exists.

I have to acknowledge that if you saw “No Strings Attached” with Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher and didn’t like it, this is similar enough to make you feel the same way. You may also see no reason to see two films with the same subject matter five months apart.

Semisonic’s “Closing Time” will be stuck in your head for days afterwards.

The idea of friends with benefits, or no strings attached relationships has no appeal to you whatsoever, either from personal experience or person convictions.