With No Strings Attached there were two factors that had it striking out before we even went to see it, but the promise of "date night" with my boyfriend and deciding between it and True Grit had it the winner for the night.
Factor one: Aston Kutcher.
Four words: Dude, Where's My Car? Kutcher has never been a superb actor. In fact, he usually falls annoyingly flat. Luckily, he plays the sap much better than he's ever played the dude. He's the chaser in this rom-com with some not-so-cliche moves — like presenting Portman's character, Emma, with a bouquet of carrots after she's said, "No flowers."
Factor two: The synoposis
"In this comedy, Emma (Natalie Portman) and Adam (Ashton Kutcher) are life-long friends who almost ruin everything by having sex one morning. In order to protect their friendship, they make a pact to keep their relationship strictly "no strings attached." "No strings" means no jealousy, no expectations, no fighting, no flowers, no baby voices. It means they can do whatever they want, whenever they want, in whatever public place they want, as long as they don't fall in love. The questions become — Can you have sex without love getting in the way? And can their friendship survive?"
So, the whole premise of them being life-long friends is so not true. There's a montage in the beginning of them running into each other over and over again, but they're not close. They just become close on accident. It makes it better.
Emma and Adam originally met at camp, then they reunite ten years later at a frat party in college where she asks him if he wants to accompany her to "this boring family thing" the following day — which turns out to be her father's funeral. Ooops. They part ways at that point with her words of, "Adam, you're a really wonderful guy. If you're lucky, you'll never see me again."
Which has us all confused, because hey, it's Natalie Portman.
It movies to "one year ago" where they run into each other at a farmers market. Emma has just moved to town and gives Adam her number. At this point, there's some kitchy funny moments, but nothing spectacular.
No Strings became decidedly more promising in the "present day" after Kutcher's character Adam is hanging out with his former-tv-star dad (Kevin Kline) and in walks his ex-girlfriend, now dating Daddy. Minor hilarity ensued from that scene (although we already know that Dad's a character, as his introduction to us was unfortunately sweater-hairy-chested and speedo clad as he's doing Vinyasa-yoga-slash-weight-lifting) and promised more to come.
The ex-girlfriend thing incites Adam to get drunk and "call every girl on [his] phone until someone agrees to have sex with me." His Rosencranz and Guildenstern buddies back him ("That sounds like a horribly degrading and self-destructive idea and we're behind you 100%.") The next morning, Adam awakes on a strange couch stark naked with three strangers who give him a hard time until Emma walks in and he asks her, "Did I have sex with anyone in this apartment last night?"
Booty calls ensue.
Rules get laid down (no fighting, no jealousy, no baby talk, no snuggling) and they struggle to keep it "no strings attached." Inevitably, (as it's a rom-com) someone falls in love. Hearts get broken. They rediscover the truth and all ends well. Hooray.
I really really really enjoyed this movie. My boyfriend did too. Before going to see it, our conversation was thus:
Me: We could go see a movie, there's one I'd like to see.
Him: If I rephrase that it sounds like this: 'There's a chick flick I want to see but you wouldn't like it'...am I right?
Upon leaving the theater, he told me he really enjoyed it. We cracked up at several of the lines as we rehashed the movie (I'd tell you, but you should see it first or it wouldn't make sense). Aside from some blatant and a bit unnecessary (read: it didn't add or subtract from the story) pot usage and referencing, and some interesting-choice camera shots (did we really need that close-up of Kutcher's naked butt?) it was hilarious, cute, and not terribly cliche.
It's not an Oscar-winner, but its well-timed, well-played and above Kutcher's usual average and a different kind of movie for Portman. A classic date night movie, I'll certainly be watching it again...but at home rather than ponying up the $9.75 for the movie theater.
Just remember, "I've got cupcakes..."
Yours,
The Movie-ist
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