Friday, January 21, 2011

FILM REVIEW: Natalie Portman & Ashton Kutcher's "No Strings Attached"

As a romantic comedy about two old friends who keep running into each other and eventually decide to begin a friends-with-benefits relationship, it tried its best to balance the raunch with a little romance. Ashton's character made her a period remix, brought her a balloon for all her "hard work," and even endured a funeral as their first date. All in all, Kutcher and Portman meshed well together and it didn't seem like she was trying too hard to be this damaged, distant modern woman. She was even believable when she competitively did the running man and exclaimed on the putt-putt course "I made that hole my bitch!," and jealously attacked two lesbians Ashton intended on hooking up with. Average rom-com female protagonist was not a difficult role for Portman to conquer, but I think the question is: Is it one she actually needed to? There's a reason most actresses are relegated to those roles: They can't score roles in movies like Black Swan. And I'm sure if they could, they wouldn't be slumming it by choice in a B-grade film, opposite a hasbeen rom-com veteran, dishing out lackluster declarations of love.
Final Verdict: I didn't really like it. It was funny, but the ending kind of ruined it for me. It out-cheesed Chucky Cheese.

Best Line: "You brought her a balloon? What do u think you're the old guy from Up."
—Eli (Jake M. Johnson) to Adam (Kutcher)

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