It's not everyday that I'm pleasantly surprised by a movie. I had
my doubts going into Friends with
Benefits after the recent release of
No Strings Attached, another film that has pretty much the same plotline.
However, I fully admit that Friends with
Benefits won me over with its smart script and genuinely interesting and
likable characters.
Jamie
is a headhunter who has recruited Dylan out to New York as the new Art Director
for GQ. Being from LA, Dylan isn't sure he wants to live in the Big
Apple. But once he agrees to take
the job, Jamie becomes his lone acquaintance in the big city, giving them an
immediate friendship. Having been recently dumped, both know their faults and
openly discuss the need for sex without added drama. Promising that sex won't
ruin their relationship, Jamie and Dylan opt to enter into a unique friendship,
one with benefits.
Unlike
many movies of this nature, Friends with
Benefits actually took the time to build a connection and friendship
between the two leads before bringing up the act of sleeping with one another
in a platonic way. I truly appreciated this as it added a degree of
believability to the story "“ a rare presence in the genre.
The
main problem with this film is that while they discuss how impossible and silly
it is to think that friendship can't be ruined by sex (and that fairy tales
only exist in the movies) Friends with
Benefits ends up being just as formulaic. Again, I'm not saying it didn't
work in this capacity. The script
and characters were well-built, but I can't ignore the obvious hypocrisy.
Mila
Kunis and Justin Timberlake are certainly in their element here while Patricia
Clarkson, Richard Jenkins, Woody Harrelson and Jenna Elfman each complimented
the leading duo well. I tend to believe that a movie can falter when even the
smallest of characters is miscast, so I have to give credit here for a solid,
unblemished ensemble.
Friends with Benefits is a fresh comedy.
Although it's a bit formulaic, the reality of the situation is well developed.
Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake really nail it as they navigate the murky
waters of sex and friendship.
