Monday, February 21, 2011

"You did a good job, so... I thought you deserved a balloon"- No Strings Attached

I actually saw this movie a few weeks ago, and have gone back and forth so many times about dedicating a blog post to it. It isn't that I don't think the movie merits one. As far as romantic comedies go, this is definitely a better one. However, I can't seem to decide whether I think it is genuinely edgy and funny, or whether it tries too hard to push the boundaries. The film stars Ashton Kutcher playing Adam, the same lovable goofball he is known for playing, and Natalie Portman trying her hand in a genre that she is not so accustomed in the role of Emma.

Don't get me wrong, the movie is funny. Sometimes so much so that catching your breath is a difficult feat. I am just perplexed on how a movie can have so many funny one liners and instances, and other times have jokes fall so flat you wonder how they even made it into the film at all. One particular scene featuring a young Adam and Emma at camp is less funny than horrendously awkward, and gives the audience an incorrect first impression on what to expect from the film. Later a scene featuring Emma, Adam and a "period mix" is so funny and clever you are reminded that the writers are decent after all. The humor is generally pretty raunchy. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.

There isn't too much to say about the performances of the two main castmembers. It seems all Ashton Kutcher does is play romantic leads. The bigger surprise is Natalie Portman. After her incredible performance in Black Swan, it is stranger to see her excel in a fluffier role such as this, but she does. She has most of the funniest lines and easily carries this movie.

I would definitely recommend this movie, especially to romantic comedy lovers. Although entirely predictable, it is well worth the laughs. A recent Australian survey showed that 500 out of 1000 people polled blamed romantic comedies on destroying their own relationship. So...don't bring a date.

5 comments:

  1. I really want to see this movie. I think Natalie Portman is so talented, but you're right, Ashton Kutcher tends to play the same character in every movie. I saw "Just Go With It" this weekend with Adam Sandler and Jen Aniston, and similar to Kutcher, Sandler tends to play the same character in every movie. I know they're good at what they do, but change is sometimes good.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I agree with Steph. Sometimes it would be nice to see an actor go out of their comfort zone in acting and try something new. I was debating seeing this movie (predictability is the factor) but I have heard many good things about it that I'll probably go on cheap Tuesday to check it out.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I absolutely loved this movie. I loved the fact that it was a different approach to the romantic comedy but still managed to stir a laugh. I could not stop laughing in the theatre.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I agree with Aisling, I thought this movie was hilarious. I think part of the reason I go to these types of movies with my girlfriends is because we know what we can expect. It was nice that this movie tried to break some of the "chick flick" stereotypes and did it in a funny way.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I saw this movie the night it was released, with a certain friend of mine. It was scary for us... I swear they mimicked everything we had said or done to each other (minus the balloon). The writers hit this one bang on for life-like experiences, and managed to make it hilarious.

    ReplyDelete