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Are Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis enough to finally push a rom-com into "good movie" territory?
"...at once a charming romance and a pointed satire on charming romances, a movie that relentlessly skewers the conventions of the mythic Hollywood love story while still proudly embracing them."
— Jason McKiernan, filmcritic.com"...follows rom-com formulas as if directed on autopilot, but that's not to say it isn't fun."
— Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times"A crisply contemporary, notably grown-up romantic comedy..."
— Michael Rechtshaffen, Hollywood Reporter"...an uneven comedy that takes full advantage of the charm and palpable chemistry between Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis."
— Claudia Puig, USA Today"...an infectiously smart-mouthed but uneven romantic comedy..."
— Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly"Despite a pair of live wires in the leads, Friends With Benefits is just not enough."
— Peter Travers, Rolling Stone -
Summer 2011 is filled with sequels, spin-offs, and reboots. That's right, as exciting as the season's blockbusters may seem, we're being inundated with one of the most unoriginal summers the movies have ever seen. Within that context, though, which movies rise above the "Yeah, we phoned this one in" benchmark? Find out with our patent-pending originality meter.
From 1 to 10, where do these releases register? >>
Posted 07.22.11 by reelz -
Sony Pictures released the first red band trailer for the upcoming romantic comedy Friends With Benefits last November, months before the similarly-plotted No Strings Attached opened in January. With the Friends With Benefits opening next week, Sony has released a second red band trailer, after releasing three preview clips of the movie.
Like Paramount's No Strings Attached, Friends With Benefits is about two friends (this time played by Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis) who decided to enter into an emotionless, and physically motivated, relationship. However, under Will Gluck's (Easy A) direction, the new red band trailer shows that Friends With Benefits looks like it could be the funnier of the two movies with the same plot.
watch the trailer plus Gluck talks sex scenes >> Posted 07.16.11 by Ryan -
Earlier this month, a mash-up trailer showed the similarities between Sony Pictures' July comedy Friends With Benefits and Paramount Pictures' No Strings Attached. While the two movies' plots are undeniably the same — two friends (this time it's Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis instead of Ashton Kutcher and Natalie Portman) decide to start a sexual relationship without any emotional attachments — but, to be fair, trailers are also an undeniably predictable medium and can only show so much of the movie.
The release of three new preview clips could show the difference between the two movies. The clips attempt to show the comedic tone that director Will Gluck (Easy A) has added to Friends With Benefits, which may or may not be similar to the tone of No Strings Attached.
watch the clips >> Posted 07.14.11 by Ryan -
Sony Pictures' July comedy Friends With Benefits explores what happens when two attractive friends (Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis) decide to see if they can transfer their friendship into a physical relationship without the emotional burdens that come with it. If that sounds familiar to you, that's because it's the exact same plot as Paramount Pictures' romantic comedy No Strings Attached with Ashton Kutcher and Natalie Portman.
This wouldn't be the first time two seemingly identical movies were made by different studios, but, besides storyline, are the two movies that similar? The two movies are tested in a mash-up trailer by Blind Movie Critic (via Entertainment Weekly) that shows the similarities go beyond the plot, and include supporting characters, emotional arcs, jokes, and even camera angles.
watch the mash-up trailer >> Posted 07.02.11 by Ryan -
It's been a long, brutal winter in most parts of the country, so it's no surprise that even Hollywood is looking to get a jump on summer. The rollout of blockbuster movies starts this Friday, a full month before the Memorial Day Weekend.
As you'd expect (and hope), the mix of movies being offered up is heavy on the Action/Adventure movies (11) and Comedies (10). There's also plenty of offerings for Kids/Families (8). What's new this year is the addition of more R-rated comedies, thanks in no small measure to The Hangover's runaway success two summers back. Along with it's sequel, see what else is playing this summer — complete with trailers and photo galleries.
See the 2011 Summer Movie Guide >>
Posted 04.25.11 by reelz -
Sony Pictures has debuted a new trailer for Friends With Benefits, which stars Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis as two friends that decide to engage in a commitment-less sexual relationship. If this sounds like deja vu, that's because Ashton Kutcher and Natalie Portman were seen doing the exact same thing in January's No Strings Attached.
Friends With Benefits set itself apart by releasing a red band trailer first, and Timberlake's rumored infidelities are another unique way that Friends is being marketed. The trailer also shows a few cameos (Emma Stone and Andy Samberg) and the movie's supporting cast, including Woody Harelson, Patricia Clarkson, and Jenna Elfman.
Watch the trailer >> Posted 03.17.11 by Ryan -
Earlier this week, the trailer for director Ivan Reitman's romantic comedy No Strings Attached debuted, revealing a story about two friends (Ashton Kutcher and Natalie Portman) who decide to embark on a commitment-less, physical relationship. Originally titled F**kbuddies, Paramount tried to change the title to Friends With Benefits until they realized that Sony Screen Gems had that title already for its romantic comedy about the same story, but starring Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis instead. Sony's Friends With Benefits is directed by Will Gluck (Easy A), who also co-wrote the screenplay, and, unlike No Strings Attached, features a naughtier, red band trailer with Timberlake singing songs during intimate moments. Let the competing romantic comedy games begin!
Watch the trailer >> Posted 11.07.10 by Ryan