No Strings Attached: Plot in a Nutshell
Emma (Natalie Portman) and Adam (Ashton Kutcher) go way back to summer camp. Never really friends or lovers, they keep crossing paths, until one day they decide to finally have sex. It is fun, and they realize they can just be friends with benefits. Although this is more Emma’s idea than Adam’s, he decides to go with it and live every guy’s fantasy: a no-strings-attached, sexual relationship with a beautiful woman. But Emma is smart, funny and just different, and it doesn’t take long for Adam to want more. And while Emma is also developing feelings for him, she just can’t risk getting hurt. She keeps sabotaging the chances of a relationship. Will Adam settle for the friends with thing, or will he keep challenging Emma?
Details and the Verdict
On the surface, the movie doesn’t seem to offer something new or very interesting. The trailer is sort of funny, but to be honest, I never expected the movie to be this funny. It is often quite hilarious, with some laugh-out-loud moments. Also the trailer hides one of the movie’s biggest gems – Kevin Kline as Adam’s father. Kline plays a morally corrupt (watch the movie to see what he does:)), but loving, weed-smoking famous actor whose fame, and TV show lines, keep haunting Adam. Adam also has to deal with the “wisdom” of his two best friends, Wallace (Ludacris), Eli (Jake M. Johnson).
This movie is full of great one-liners, funny characters, good comedic timing as well as some decent physical comedy on Ashton’s part. Our Oscar-winning Natalie doesn’t disappoint in a comedy. And while Ashton does run the risk of being typecast as the funny but hunky romantic lead, I have no complaints here. The guy knows how to entertain his audience.
Yes, just like almost every romantic comedy, this one has a happy ending. But with romcoms, it is almost always about the journey of the couple, and this one offers a very entertaining one at that. It does inevitably get romantic (and emotional) on occasion, but this doesn’t take away from all the moments it made you grin and laugh.
See it. Currently, 6.3 on IMDB. I think it deserves a 7.
Written by Elizabeth Meriwether & Michael Samonek. Directed by Ivan Reitman (Ghostbusters series, Six Days Seven Nights).
Fun note:
Boston Legal’s Lake Bell co-stars as Adam’s neurotic and talkative friend/co-worker.
Favorite lines:
- Adam & Emma are having sex anytime, anywhere. At Adam’s house, Eli. comes knocking on the door to complain:
Eli: I can’t concentrate on the porn with all the real sex going on around here!
- Wallace tells Adam to man-up & (and try to have sex with Lake Bell’s character), right after Wallace has cried at the shooting of the episode Adam has written.
Eli: You just cried at the show!
Wallace:I liked it!
**
Favorite Scenes:
– Pretty much any interaction Ashton has with Kevin Kline.
– When Ashton wakes up naked at Emma’s house (from the trailer).
**
Also on Natalie Portman
Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan: The Movie Natalie Portman Couldn’t Save
Love and Other Impossible Pursuits: The Natalie Portman Movie We Aren’t Excited About
Coming Soon:Thor starring Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Hopkins & Natalie Portman
Overrated: Closer starring Natalie Portman, Clive Owen, Julia Roberts & Jude Law
Preview: No Strings Attached starring Portman & Ashton Kutcher
Beautiful Girls starring Timothy Hutton, Matt Dillon, Natalie Portman, Uma Thurman
Other Posts feat. Ashton Kutcher
Spread starring Ashton Kutcher and Anne Heche
Killers starring Ashton Kutcher, Katherine Heigl and Tom Selleck
16 Fun Facts Actor Ashton Kutcher – Kelso from That 70s Show
3 Happy Celebrity Couples: feat. Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher
Valentine’s Day starring Ashton Kutcher, Bradley Cooper, Julia Roberts, Jessica Alba & More
The Butterfly Effect starring Ashton Kutcher and Amy Smart
22 Tall Actors From Hollywood
Also on Kevin Kline:
The Big Chill starring Kevin Kline, William Hurt, Glenn Close & Jeff Goldblum
In & Out starring Kevin Kline, Joan Cusack, Matt Dillon & Tom Selleck
the movie no strings attached was cool ! 🙂 i loved it ! a LOT .
i really admire ASHTON KUTCHER , i wish i could see him :”>
Yep, I think he is funny- and pretty smart. He is taking advantage of his fame on social media and then let social media help his career progress even further.
The movie was funny and I hope he keeps playing in comedies;)
But I am not sure I’d like to see him in person. Meeting celebs can be very disappointing…
Hilarious romantic comedy, with a surprisingly pleasant and funny Natalie Portman.
Ashton Kutcher is the king of romantic comedies, and actually he plays them very well. However, I’d love to see him in non-comedy films, because I believe he’s talented enough to move on to dramas and maybe Sci-fi.
Amazing Kevin Kline as usual.
Great review, Pinar 🙂
Welcome back, Patricia! I like Ashton Kutcher too. I don’t really understand why so many people despise him. He is funny and attractive enough to be one of his generation’s favorite romantic comedy leads. Natalie Portman is always lovely, and I am glad she took time to do lighter stuff. Boy, I hated Black Swan:D
NSA was funny, and I’m a sucker for a funny Kevin Kline. And a shorter actor wouldn’t be as believable as Ashton’s dad, lol:)
Please let me know when you see Friends with Benefits and which one you prefer. It is OK to enjoy them both:):)