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Friends with Benefits is a 2011 romantic comedy that works SO hard at not being a cliche romantic comedy that it is exactly what it turns out to be.
The film stars Mila Kunis as Jamie, a Manhattan-based head hunter, who convinces an art director from Los Angeles named Dylan (Justin Timberlake) to accept a job as the art director at the New York offices of GQ magazine and though there is an instant attraction between the two, both are gun-shy having recently gone through bad breakups and having seen way too many romantic comedies. Eventually they do agree to see each other after agreeing to a sex-only, no-strings arrangement.
We can see where this is going about 20 minutes in and that's exactly the problem...the film makes a big deal about how predictable romantic comedies are and how real relationships are not the gay-hearted romps we see at the movies. Our main characters even discuss what kind of music that plays during certain scenes in certain movies, but the message is shoved down our throats ad nauseum, to the point that the film becomes exactly the kind of film it is trying to make fun of.
It's a very predictable journey and a very LONG one...the screenplay definitely could have used some tightening. A film this predictable has no business being this long.
The film does have its good points...there is a certain amount of chemistry between the stars and they both look good naked. The opening scene where the leads break up with their exes (Emma Stone, Andy Samberg) is very cleverly written and edited as is Dylan and Jamie's first sexual encounter, where they recite their one night stand rules to each other.
There are some funny moments provided by Woody Harrelson as Dylan's gay co-worker and Patricia Clarkson as Jamie's oversexed mother and there is a heartbreaking turn by the wonderful Richard Jenkins as Dylan's dad, who is battling Alzheimers and not happy about it at all. There is also beautiful use of New York and Los Angeles locations, including a rather cliched scene on the Hollywood sign. Though the film works very hard at being the "anti-romantic comedy" for people who hate romantic comedies, it doesn't succeed and the failure takes way too long. 5.5/10
The film stars Mila Kunis as Jamie, a Manhattan-based head hunter, who convinces an art director from Los Angeles named Dylan (Justin Timberlake) to accept a job as the art director at the New York offices of GQ magazine and though there is an instant attraction between the two, both are gun-shy having recently gone through bad breakups and having seen way too many romantic comedies. Eventually they do agree to see each other after agreeing to a sex-only, no-strings arrangement.
We can see where this is going about 20 minutes in and that's exactly the problem...the film makes a big deal about how predictable romantic comedies are and how real relationships are not the gay-hearted romps we see at the movies. Our main characters even discuss what kind of music that plays during certain scenes in certain movies, but the message is shoved down our throats ad nauseum, to the point that the film becomes exactly the kind of film it is trying to make fun of.
It's a very predictable journey and a very LONG one...the screenplay definitely could have used some tightening. A film this predictable has no business being this long.
The film does have its good points...there is a certain amount of chemistry between the stars and they both look good naked. The opening scene where the leads break up with their exes (Emma Stone, Andy Samberg) is very cleverly written and edited as is Dylan and Jamie's first sexual encounter, where they recite their one night stand rules to each other.
There are some funny moments provided by Woody Harrelson as Dylan's gay co-worker and Patricia Clarkson as Jamie's oversexed mother and there is a heartbreaking turn by the wonderful Richard Jenkins as Dylan's dad, who is battling Alzheimers and not happy about it at all. There is also beautiful use of New York and Los Angeles locations, including a rather cliched scene on the Hollywood sign. Though the film works very hard at being the "anti-romantic comedy" for people who hate romantic comedies, it doesn't succeed and the failure takes way too long. 5.5/10