Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake lift this by-the-numbers romantic comedy up to something charming and sweet...
Lots has been said about its similarities to the dismal No Strings Attached, with Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher occupying the roles of the commitment-phobes, but Kunis and Timberlake exude chemistry and familiarity, meaning you’d want to spend time with them even if they weren’t doing the nasty.
The plot is simple. Timberlake’s Dylan is tempted to a New York job at GQ by corporate headhunter, Jamie (Kunis). They soon become friends and quickly get to the benefits, after watching a contrived Jason Segel rom-com and vowing to leave all meaning out of sex. Things obviously get more complicated than that, but Friends With Benefits manages to avoid the pitfalls many a romantic comedy has fallen down.
And the film lives and dies on its two leads. There are plenty of rumours, encouraged by Timberlake and Kunis, that the two are getting some benefits of their own, and it doesn’t hurt the movie at all. Let’s face it, films like this rely on the celebrity calibre of its leads, and if they’re courting gossip rags and public opinion while making the film, it’ll just draw more people in. The fact is, you’ll buy what you’re seeing on screen, and that’s down to the relationship between the stars. In this case, the publicity trail is almost part of the narrative.
When they’re not bumping nasties, the film
