Can two people have sexual relations and still be just friends? It would seem like the answer is obviously no, which is why it makes for such an easy premise for a romantic comedy. Undoubtedly Friends With Benefits will draw comparisons to No Strings Attached, a similarly themed rom-com released earlier this year, but they are actually pretty different. While I enjoyed No Strings, Friends is consistently more funny and has more heart. Also there seems to be a genuine chemistry between Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake, while anything Ashton Kutcher is in is in serious danger of totally sucking.
I won't bother dealing with the plot, that much should already be obvious. Two friends start to have casual sex with no attachments. Feelings, complications, inevitable fight and reconciliation with a few laughs and tears along the way. What is most noteworthy about this film is that it showcases Kunis and Timberlake in the lead roles and they shine. They are funny and charming and have the superstar good looks to back it up. Timberlake has gone a long way from being the lead singer of a boy band to a legitimate actor. He faced immense pressure to not screw up The Social Network but he turned out to be just fine. I think he'll end up alright given the right kind of roles. Maybe one day we will think of Timberlake as our generation's Frank Sinatra. Kunis is also proving to be a good actress with her dramatic breakout in Black Swan. Here she tackles comedy, a genre she is perfectly comfortable with. The two work great together, helped along with a smart and funny script.
The film is also highlighted by a great supporting cast. I wish Andy Sandberg and Emma Stone played bigger roles because their little scenes were really funny. Woody Harrelson is hilarious as a flamboyantly gay friend of Timberlake's character.
The keys to successful rom-coms? 1) Chemistry between the leads. 2) Be legitimately funny. 3) Not be overly romantic as to not scare away the guys from taking the ladies out to see it. That is all people really expect out of these movies. As simple as that formula sounds, so many of them fail in one way or another. I'm happy to report Friends With Benefits doesn't.
Finally, to answer that question in the beginning, in my humble opinion I think two people can have a sexual relationship and still be friends, but it probably means that they weren't really close friends to begin with. When it is two best friends then that is where it gets too complicated, at least that is what the movies tell me.
Grade: B
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