Reviews

Despite a formulaic premise, Friends With Benefits is an enjoyable film with a talented and charismatic cast.

Jamie (Mila Kunis) works as a corporate headhunter in New York, recruiting talented prospects for high-flying jobs. Her duties introduce her to Dylan (Justin Timberlake), who she must ensnare for an interview as an art director at GQ magazine. Successful, they grow to know each other, and decide that after a bad history of relationships, they might just strike up a relationship predicated entirely on sex – all benefits, no emotional baggage. But as things progress, that initial agreement may prove difficult to adhere to...

Now comes the obligatory comment when talking about this film: it's the second one this year to tackle the subject, the second of two films with interchangeable titles, both starring an alum from That '70s Show, both starring a star of Black Swan, both starring performers who have performed in Lonely Island videos on Saturday Night Live. That shouldn't necessarily count as a strike against this film, but it might trip feelings that you've seen all this before.

Fortunately, this rises above No Strings Attached, with a stronger comedic and romantic pairing, and an attempt at a deeper examination of their lives and personalities. Admirably, the film doesn't just ask you to accept that the couple have a relationship built around sex because that's just what all the kids are doing today; rather, it looks into what factors might contribute to someone choosing that. Both characters have divorced parents, their careers are high-pressure and in often uncertain and unstable fields, and they both possess certain relationship issues.

Timberlake again proves he's an able actor and comic presence, though Kunis outshines him with a sparkling performance. She doesn't grasp for cheap laughs; she understands the art of constructing a comic performance on every level, with impeccable timing to boot. Further bolstering this strong foundation is a strong supporting cast, including Patricia Clarkson as Jamie's free-spirited, sexually liberated mother, Richard Jenkins as Dylan's Alzheimer's-afflicted father, and Woody Harrelson as a GQ editor (who, well, can best be defined by his gay sexuality).

The film nonetheless falters as the central conceit and formula of the plot just fails to provide much beyond the average romantic comedy. There are instances where the couple mock the clichés of that very genre, in a likely acknowledgement to the audience that "hey, we know it's bad" when the film itself employs those very clichés. But this just doesn't work - acknowledging that something is cliché doesn't make the use of it any more forgivable, unless it's being used as a means to suggest that those clichés are actually true to life (which doesn't appear to be the case here - though that would be pretty cool).

Relationships of this kind in film also seem to only ever follow the same arc, an arc that probably isn't all that reflective of reality. That's likely because if you were to portray it somewhat accurately, it wouldn't be much of a crowd-pleaser. But rather than try to force something more appealing, maybe it's just not a topic to which a traditional romantic comedy is suited. Somehow, it seems unlikely that'll stop anyone making similar films anytime soon.

Starring Mila Kunis, Justin Timberlake
Directed by Will Gluck