Friends with Benefits (2011)

This raucous rom-com chronicles the relationship of two busy singles, Dylan (Justin Timberlake) and Jamie (Mila Kunis), who agree to include sex in their friendship -- minus the emotions and commitment. But things get complicated when Dylan (inevitably?) falls for his gal pal.

You may think you have already seen Friends with Benefits way back in January except it was called No Strings Attached. It’d be a simple mistake considering they both involve friends who use each other purely for sex, but there is one thing that is drastically different about them. One is terrible and one is great. If you look and see that No Strings Attached is sitting near the very bottom of my 2011 Movie Rankings, it’s not hard to figure out which of the two I enjoyed more.

This follows the lines of a romantic comedy, but it takes a far more raunchy approach. Yes, you may be able to predict most of the plot points along its path, but that doesn’t hurt the comedy at all. When it is cliché, its aware of it and turns the scenario into a joke itself, essentially making fun of the genre it’s placed in. What makes it a winner is the juicy material that comes between the beginning and the end. It is genuinely funny and for a few brief moment brings a moment of seriousness into the plot that helps establish a balance for the film. It doesn’t feel forced, it doesn’t feel unnecessary, and it just fits into the flow of the film. This is where romantic comedies tend to struggle, but not this one.  

The heart of the success comes from its two leads, Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis. They have chemistry together. The kind of chemistry that makes them appear to be best friends and not a couple. Its spot on for its premise. Bad Teacher limited Timberlake into a terrible role, but he’s allowed to do anything here, specifically his Vince Vaughn type comedic conversation. Mila Kunis is fine as ever, but they allow her to be a part of the jokes because she’s funny as well rather than be the eye candy. The films best moments are when these two are together. The rest of the cast is full of win though. They take advantage of the little screen time they have and consistently make you laugh. There was not a single poorly written character that felt out of place here. They all contributed to the comedy.

Where No Strings Attached seemed to be a cautious R-rated film, Friends with Benefits embraces it. They don’t overuse curse words, but place them in spots where it feels natural. Where they take advantage of the R rating is the portrayal of their relationship. It never actually shows any stuff but they go get into detail a bit of their sex contract. It isn’t cautious, it takes chances and is better for it.

Friends with Benefits probably won’t be the breakout hit of the summer because A.) That goes to Bridesmaids and B.) People tend to not flock to R rated rom coms, but boy does it deserve an audience. It leans toward the pre 30s line of humor, but it’s a romantic comedy that does too much right to be labeled ordinary. It’s a great comedy that you will have a great time with. If you see Captain America over this, make sure you don’t end up passing on this because it would be a shame, it is one of the few hits of its genre.

Overall Score: 8.5/10