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No Strings Attached - Redux

"Friends With Benefits" is the story of two twenty-somethings who, thinking that they know better than every man and woman throughout history, try to add sex to their friendship without jeopardizing their actual friendship. The plan works, until it doesn't.

Not to be confused with the recent "No Strings Attached", this time around we have Justin Timberlake ("The Social Network") and Mila Kunis ("Black Swan") in the lead roles. Ms. Kunis, who has certainly come into her own of late, turns in another charming performance, owning her scenes with frankness and ease. While not entirely believable as an executive recruiter, she wears the skin of Jamie - a woman who has only experienced disappointment in all of her relationships - very well, and conveys just the right sense of prickly vulnerability common to New Yorkers. Mr. Timberlake, absurdly unbelievable as the art director for G.Q., sadly falls a bit short in his first leading role. While his skill at broad comedy comes in handy, he doesn't quite manage to create a character for Dylan that spans the entire movie but rather plays each scene as a beginning and end in and of itself. He certainly doesn't lack for charisma, and the screenplay, by newcomers Keith Merryman & David A. Newman and Will Gluck ("Easy A") doesn't actually call for much character development, so it's not an unforgivable flaw, but Mr. Timberlake may want to study the work of Cary Grant, Jimmy Stewart, and the like before taking another of these types of roles.

Where "Friends With Benefits" shines, however, is with the supporting cast. Top of the heap is definitely Woody Harrelson, who continues his long history of improbable performances as G.Q's wildly inappropriate and unapologetically gay sports editor. In the wrong hands, this character could easily have been clichéd, but Harrelson hits it with a frankness that makes lines like, "What, you're not gay? No problem - more pipe for me", seem somehow like acceptable workplace conversations. His scenes are few, but every time he hits the screen it's a pleasure. Patricia Clarkson adds the flighty, hippy, partying mother character that she does so well, Richard Jenkins, as Dylan's father, adds his usual touching gravity and Jenna Elfman ("Edtv") returns from the grave and gives a nicely muted performance as Dylan's sister - doing her best to add some dimension to his character. And special thanks to Andy Samberg, Emma Stone, Jason Segel, Rashida Jones, Shaun White, and (inexplicably) Masi Oka, for contributing some hilarious cameos.

Will Gluck, who in addition to writing handles the directing, contributes to the aforementioned feel of a series of sketches tied together rather than a cohesive film. Probably as a result of his long history of TV work, his direction creates small insulated moments, with most scenes feeling very much like isolated set-pieces more appropriate to a staged production. Though, given the need to avoid full frontal during the leads' frequent state of nakedness, perhaps the lack of motion can be forgiven to some degree.

In spite of these issues, the chemistry between Ms. Kunis and Mr. Timberlake, and the excellent contributions by the supporting cast, keeps the movie on its feet, delivering an enjoyable, if not entirely memorable, film.