Deft and engaging. Brilliant cast delivers the perfect tone. I loved this movie!

Rating: 10/10 (24 July 2011)

Very pleasant surprise! I enjoyed this film. I knew I was heading into a rom-com, of course. Often rom-coms have at least some major element of what I can only call "the stupid". Maybe a supporting character is so lame or even unsavoury that it detracts from the overall integrity of the movie. Or perhaps, in some cases, the plot hinges on events that aren't even just theatrical (after all, all films are "fake" and theatrical), but so contrived and removed from life as to be just plain silly. Or stupid.
The only criticism of the movie I have, and it is a minor quibble, I guess--- I never understood what the Shaun White character was doing in the movie. Minor spoiler: I kept waiting for him to be a catalyst for something, but all the writers had him do was act yobbish and odious. Shaun White is a lovely and admirable man in real life- so what was the object of his "fictional" appearance in this film? Dunno... Maybe it was funnier or more interesting on paper? But aside from that odd bit of character insertion, everything else was pitch perfect.
This movie felt solid and real all the way down to every character, each scene, and right up to the end. Please understand I am granting a "theatre" realism to it, not a "how my actual life goes" realism. But isn't it just so that we have some stories we tell ourselves, both for solace for our disappointments, and for inspiration and maybe even guidance for how we'd like to live our lives? In that latter case we'd call the stories "inspirational".
"Friends With Benefits" was also like that latter case. it is a fantasy, to be sure. We aren't meant to take it as a documentary. But there are many levels of greatness amongst stories and fantasies, and this movie had th best quality of art. It was the best kind of fantasy- it spoke to me on deep and true levels, it uplifted me and yes, as clichÃ© and hippie as it may sound, it also inspired me.
The actors were perfectly cast. I've always liked Mila Kunis- but here she shows up as a powerful actor with a wonderful playful nature that wins her friends in any audience. Justine Timberlake- I must confess I always kind of thought he was a poser, producing music that pretended to be "all street" and whatnot. But i was proved wrong here, and am glad of it. he was sympathetic and engaging. Both the leads were people I could identify with, and cheer on.
Patricia Clarkson was pitch-perfect. her role as the wacky mother could easily have turned into a cringe-worthy cartoon of "an old drunk broad" who still lives in her salad days, in lesser hands. Clarkson was human and warm and likable- a master acting job, and a master class in the deft touch with perfect tone.
Jenna Elfman was also a pleasant surprise--- I remember her well from the likable TV fluff "Dharma and Greg", and a few roles in the likes of the Edward Norton directorial movie 10 years or so ago. Kind of "sharp," then. here she seems to have matured into a very likable and strong woman. Her character felt sensible, essential to the story, and loving. That was very nice to see.
Overall, every character appeared for just right amount of time. No character over-stayed their welcome or purpose. Even keeping the adorable and amazing Emma Stone down to just a few too-brief scenes was, in the end, probably a smart move on the director's part. Any more would have been distracting. It was all just right!