film review: friends with benefits

Friends with Benefits opens on a reasonably high note as Dylan (Justin Timberlake) is dumped by his ditzy girlfriend (Emma Stone) at the same moment that Jamie (Mila Kunis) is dumped by her immature boyfriend (Andy Samberg) – an opening that instantly sets the pair up as the ‘unlucky in love’ type.

We soon learn that Dylan is based in L.A and has been working at a small but successful web magazine as the art director; while Jamie is a career-focused executive recruiter (or ‘headhunter’) for a leading job agency. When she sets out to scout Dylan for a job at the high profile magazine GQ in New York City, they begin to form a rather special friendship – one with ‘benefits’ and no complications. But as the over-exhausted rom-com formula goes, they both come to the realisation that there ‘arrangement’ means something more. After Dylan performs his ‘grand gesture’ at Central Station (which involves a flash dance mob), the pair decide to reconcile their issues.

Director Wil Gluck who previously brought us Easy A, altered the script specifically for Kunis and Timberake who appear to be at home in the comedy genre. Woody Harrelson as GQ’s homosexual sports editor also provides some laughs, and Patricia Clarkson portrays Jamie’s sexually liberated hippy mother with confidence.

But perhaps the producers could have spaced the release of this film out from No Strings Attached (starring Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher) which was released only a few months ago. While the film may be trying to offer a fresh take on the genre, overall, it’s nothing that we haven’t seen before.