The formula of Friends with Benefits adds nothing new to romantic comedies. However, director Will Gluck (Easy A) lets his two leads take charge and run with the movie by using their talents, looks, and charm. The dialogue is quick and witty, and some of the issues they run in to when it comes to being in a relationship or getting out of one is quite believable. Gluck even spends some time having his two main characters make fun of the movies of the rom-com genre and the clichés that come with them. But Friends with Benefits ends up falling for the same thing that the movies they made fun of do, it’s just more self-aware.
Dylan (Justin Timberlake) moves from L.A. to New York for a job with GQ, and Jamie (Mila Kunis) is the one who convinces him to take it. This starts a friendship between the two and soon think that by adding sex to the mix, they can still be friends, but not have the emotions and complications that come with it. And while it is easy and fun at first, things begin to change. And their confidence in sex not changing anything between them begins to fade away. What they thought would be so simple actually is not. It is easier said than done.
The movie is sexual and daring at times, but it never gets trashy or tasteless. Of course, they are going to have sex, but the story expands wider than that and makes it about more than just two friends sleeping together. It is actually quite clever and refreshing even if the premise is very familiar. Speaking of familiar, if you are wondering if this movie is better than No Strings Attached (which came out in January of this year) then let me put your mind at ease—it definitely is.
What separates Friends with Benefits from the other movies of the same genre is the spectacular chemistry between Timberlake and Kunis. They are young, good-looking, and full of charisma and energy. The snappy dialogue works because they are delivering it in a quick, direct way that others before have failed at. These two were perfect to share the screen together, and very likeable on-screen. Timberlake and Kunis really carry this movie and without them, I am not sure how this movie would have turned out. Now they did have some backup from two film veterans, Patricia Clarkson and Richard Jenkins, who add so much to the few scenes they have.
Friend with Benefits does not break new ground, but if you are going to stick to a story that has been told before, at least deliver it in a new way and Gluck did just that by having Timberlake and Kunis tell it. It is sexual but there is also a sweet romance to it all. And while not everything clicks as it should, there are quite a few enjoyable scenes and moments that will make you leave the movie satisfied and pleasantly surprised.
Brandon Vick is a member of The Music City Film Critics’ Association, the resident film critic of the SoBros Network, and the star of The Vick’s Flicks Podcast. Follow him on Twitter @SirBrandonV and be sure to search #VicksFlicks for all of his latest movie reviews.
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