Friends With Benefits (2011)

Directed By - Will Gluck

Starring - Justin Timberlake, Mila Kunis, Woody Harrelson, Patricia Clarkson, Richard Jenkins, Jenna Elfman.

I have always believed Rom-com's are the most dangerous genre to attempt because although they are audience pullers, repetitiveness can turn them into disasters. But FWD proves that with  smart dialogues, fast clip sequences and an amazing chemistry between the two leads, even a genre like this can be reinvented.

'Friends with benefits' is about Dylan Harper(Timberlake), an art director based in Los Angeles whose recently-ex girlfriend claims that he is too emotionally unavailable. He gets a job offer of a lifetime to work for GQ via an Executive recruiter Jamie(Kunis) but he is reluctant to shift base to New York. In an attempt to make Dylan take the job, Jamie shows him around in New York. Quite obviously Dylan takes the job and forms a good friendship with Jamie and a drunken night later they decide to become 'Friends with benefits'.This particular setup goes through lots of ups and downs, which includes Jamie spending a weekend with Dylan in LA with his sister(Elfman) and Alzheimer's stricken father(Jenkins) and after a subsequent fight they realize they love each other and everything ends happily ever after.

 While reading the basic premise one will not be very impressed, its the moments in the film that entertain, right from the tennis analogy of Dylan to the final shot of Jamie and Dylan in the restaurant , its the way the film is made that makes it fun.The films greatest strength is it does not have too many subplots and absolutely wastes no time in back stories. The amazing supporting cast also aids the film with a special mention going to Woody Harrelson who portrays Dylan's gay colleague. His persistence of Dylan becoming gay although very cliched is hilarious.Also Patricia Clarkson as Jamie's bohemian mother is a treat. Her best scene , undoubtedly, is the one where she walks in on Jamie and Dylan(you have to watch the film to know what i am saying, there's no way in the world i am discussing it here!!) . But the film belongs to its leads. Justin Timberlake as Dylan portrays a cliched role of the emotionally detached male but plays it so honestly that he is able to make Dylan  very realistic. Timberlake is able to play around with the little nuances such as the regular sneezes (again you have to see the film to know why he sneezes), his childish happiness at the signals Jamie leaves him and makes Dylan an adorable character, one that you take back home with yourself. Timberlake is definitely the stronger of the two. Mila Kunis as Jamie looks stunning and perfectly complements Timberlake. The leads of the film share an amazing on screen chemistry and each every scene with the both is excellent, right from the New York dance on the road to the New York dance in the climax, Timberlake and Kunis spell magic, remove any one of them, and the film is not as good.

The screenplay is pretty smart for a rom com. Its fast paced and genuinely funny. the scenes are very well planned and the opening scene is a particularly clever one. 

Earlier in the year the Natalie Portman-Ashton Kutcher film 'No Strings Attached' had released which is about the same relationship set up, although even that was pretty good FWD trumps it big time.

Friends with Benefits adds nothing new to the well worn Rom com formula but smart writing,a great supporting cast and an outstanding chemistry between Timberlake and Kunis make it one hell of a ride!!

Rating 7.8/10