day 3.218

movie review: friends with benefits

want to see no strings attached again? then i suggest you add it to your netflix cue. while friends with benefits may look like a knock-off of the ashton kutcher/natalie portman dramedy, the two flicks are very different. yes, dylan (justin timberlake) and jamie (mila kunis) are friends who casually hook up. but, unlike their no strings attached counterparts, this duo didn't know each other very long before their first hook-up. after headhunter jamie convinces l.a.-based dylan to accept an nyc job with gq, the two strike up a friendship. both single- and both horny- jamie and dylan decide to use each other for sexual healing. mix in family issues on both sides, long triangles and even flash mobs (yeah, they really pre-dated themselves with the use of those), and friends with benefits puts itself same category as going the distance- a chick flick for guys. plus, you won't hear patricia clarkson use the phrase "twat block" in that other movie. mixed in with the romance is raunchy humor and just enough nudity to peak your interest. while it's no where near as good a film as no strings attached, it is entertaining. quick paced and sharply written, friends with benefits is the summer date night comedy that you won't regret seeing.

day 3.45

review: no strings attached

it's no black swan, but it will definitely keep you entertained and leave the theater laughing. natalie portman's follow-up performance to the movie i like to call "creepy-ass ballerina," no strings attached, tells the story of adam and emma (ashton kutcher and portman, respectively), two childhood friends who reconnect as adults in la la land. the duo are both down on their relationship luck, until they decide to become friends with benefits. (or, as the movie awkwardly refers to it, "sex friends"). the movie is well written, well cast and well acted. the strength of no strings attached comes from the supporting cast (though i was happily surprised with the usually irritating ashton kutcher), which includes pretty much every side player from every movie and tv show you've ever seen - lake bell, abby elliott, mindy kaling, kevin kline and ludacris are just a few of the faces you'll see on screen. while some jokes are in bad taste, and some sight gags are more than over-the-top, you're getting what you pay for - you're there to see a comedy about sex and relationships. the movie's over-arching message might lead to increased promiscuity (spoiler - the plot is basically "become friends with benefits and wind up in love), but it shouldn't be anything to worry about. if you want to have a good two hours of laughs and love, definitely check out no strings attached. or, wait until the same movie comes out later this year, friends with benefits starring justin timberlake and natalie's black swan co-star mila kunis. fun fact: no strings attached was actually filmed under the title friends with benefits.

day 3.12

movie review mania: black swan

i'll sum up black swan in three words: bitch is crazy. or, wtf? or center stage meets showgirls meets a mental breakdown on crack. i knew going in to darren aronofsky's follow-up to 2008's the wrestler that it would at least have a hint of crazy, but sh*t went down. the flick follows nina, a determined ballerina who gets the chance of a lifetime when she's offered the role of the swan queen in "swan lake." the role - and the ocd-centered life nina has created - prove to be too much for the ballerina. the film follows the psychological and mental breakdown nina goes through as she attempts to find perfection. all the performances - especially natalie portman as nina, mila kunis' take as nina's biggest competition in the ballet company and barbara hershey as nina's overbearing mother - are spectacular, and aronofsky's vision is obvious (every moment seems completely planned out), but all the bizarre or shocking moments in the film are never explained. to be honest, i don't think i could explain black swan's plot twists to anyone - it's something you have to see for yourself. black swan didn't pass my "watch test" - i had to look a couple times - but it definitely kept me interested, even if i had to look away from the screen a few times.

movie review mania: burlesque

if you're looking for something that requires a little (ok, let's be honest, a lot) less thought, try burlesque. even though the movie has been out for about a month, it's still worth checking out. i can say that i was genuinely surprised at how entertaining it was - i was expecting a lot more camp and to laugh at a lot more moments that weren't intended to be funny. i found out that juno scribe diablo cody wrote the original script for burlesque, which helps explain the disconnect between really well written scenes and some of the film's beyond bad dialogue. it's not christina aguilera who is a bad actress, but bad material that aguilera tried too hard to make good...if that makes any sense. the soundtrack alone will make you leave the theater wanting more. the casting was spot on (though i might have switched kristen bell and julianne hough's roles) and everyone gives solid performances, especially christina aguilera's wig, which deserves a best supporting actress nom for making christina's hair look the best it ever had. like black swan, burlesque has elements of showgirls, but it's funny on purpose and serious when it counts.