Film Reviews

Friends With Benefits

• Rating:
• Director: Will Gluck
• Starring: Emma Stone
• Details: US/109mins 16

Coming long enough after the similar No Strings Attached that the obvious similarities cease to matter, Friends with Benefits is a considerably better film. Not to say that it's Bridesmaids funny (or good) it still manages to be an charming rom-com with welcome irony. It also helps that Timberlake and Kunis are enough at ease with each other that you could actually see these two people hitting it off in the way they do - resulting in the subsequent emotional intricacies.
Kunis is neurotic New York based head-hunter Jamie, who targets Timberlake's talented LA journalist Dylan for a job at GQ in Manhattan. Unsure of the move, Jamie soon convinces Dylan that New York is the place to be by taking him on a delightful tour around the city. The two soon become good friends, but after messy breakups, have no interest in a relationship. Alas, they have needs and those needs involving humping the crap out of each other. Will feelings get in the way? Do dogs lick their own nuts?
It's generally a given nowadays that anything resembling a romantic comedy will stick rigidly to a formula. Although Friends with Benefits is self aware and mildly irreverent, it too sticks to the type of tried and tested formula that has seen countless productions ker-ching away at the box-office. Taking the piss out of Katherine Heigl it may do, but, truth be told it's not really that different. A soppy film within a film starring Jason Segal and Rashida Jones is too obviously inserted and a missed opportunity for subtle emphasis. They should've gotten Heigl.
What it comes down to so often is realism; would these two be a couple in real life and is their on screen relationship organic enough to buy? The answer to that is a resounding yes.
Timberlake was awful in Bad Teacher; but that was a one note character designed for someone more overtly comical. Here he's far more affable and seems to fit snugly into the role. Granted, he's not stretching himself but he's likeable enough that guys will watch him - which is a trait the likes of Ashton Kutcher is finding frustratingly elusive. Kunis now exudes that 'cool chick' with an edge vibe without even trying and is as appealing as you'd expect her to be.
Opening smartly but soon descending into predictable cliches, Friends with Benifits is still a fun and entertaining hour and a half.

Review by Mike Sheridan