Bland Screenplay but Good Lead Performances

Rating: Null/10 (28 February 2011)

No Strings Attached (2011)
** 1/2 (out of 4)
Friends Emma (Natalie Portman) and Adam (Ashton Kutcher) decide to try to be lovers with no emotional connection and while the non-stop sex works at first soon Adam begins to have feelings, which pushes Emma away. NO STRING ATTACHED isn't going to be mistaken for a Bergman film nor is it going to win any awards at the Oscars but considering what the film is it works fairly well even though you know where it's going and what route it's going to take to get there. It was kind of refreshing seeing an R-rated romantic comedy again since the majority of them over the past twenty-years have been aimed at the PG-13 market. You know, those romantic comedies where even the adults act like dumb teenagers. Either way, this film here isn't perfect and has a lot of issues but on the whole it was a pretty fun film. It should go without saying but what will make or break a film like this are the two leads because if there's not any chemistry then there's no where for the story to go. Portman and Kutcher really do seem like they'd be an odd pair to put together in a film like this but it actually makes the story work. You really can look at these two characters, see how different they are and believe that they'd be in a sex only relationship. Kutcher is basically playing himself but there's no question that he can have a charming side and it's on full display here. He can deliver the sly lines without any problem and he comes across as a good-hearted guy, which is exactly what his character is. Portman delivers a fine performance as well as she has no problem playing this workaholic character with a few personal issues of her own. I'm sure many people might feel that a role like this is below her but she turns in a memorable performance and handles the raunchy humor quite well. Portman and Kutcher have no problems coming off like a real couple as they work well off one another and that's pretty much all you can ask. Kevin Kline gets a few good spots as Kutcher's famous father who has a few drug problems of his own. It was really fun seeing Kline again and he delivers a fun performance. An almost unrecognizable Cary Elwes is in good form as are Greta Gerwig, Lake Bell and Ludicrous who play the friends. The biggest problem with the film is the screenplay, which is your typical romantic comedy stuff meaning you know where the film is going to go and there aren't any surprises along the way. Even before the movie starts you know how it's going to end and sadly the final twenty-minutes really go out of control because what you know is going to happen just keeps getting pushed back to the point where the movie overstays its welcome. The start of the picture also suffers from some pacing problems but the middle section contains some good raunchy humor, funny sex scenes and the two stars certainly make it cute and charming.