With such a serious and somber start to the New Year, it would be beneficial to take one’s mind off of the heavy stuff with a light-hearted Ivan Reitman film. It’s to our benefit that there so happens to be such a film in the release of “No Strings Attached,” starring Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher.
Emma (Portman) is a doctor with a cold demeanor. It is quickly established that she has difficulty with handling other’s emotions. Adam (Kutcher) is a production assistant on the set of a television program that produces a show similar to “High School Musical,” but aspires to be a writer. In addition, Adam is the son of a famous T.V. actor in an unspecified fictitious show, “Great Scott,” which has Adam living in his father’s shadow somewhat.
Over a number of highly unlikely encounters, Emma and Adam ‘run into’ each other. These seem quite precarious, but since they clearly serve to introduce certain characters at each interval, the audience is forced to forgive that part of the film. It does not take long, so it is not distracting from the overall story.
After a session of drinking and drunk-dialing booty calls, Adam wakes up naked at Emma’s house, having slept with no one. A tender moment in Emma’s room – where the naked Adam’s pants are located – leads to Adam’s…eventual goal. Shortly after, Emma proposes a ‘friends with benefits’ situation, which Adam is happy to accept.
Anyone familiar with Ivan Reitman films would be quick to point out that the funniest parts are the banter between the characters in the film, and the constructed ‘in jokes’ that appear. In “Ghostbusters,” there is the funny dialogue such as, “This is just as crazy as the time [Egon] tried to drill a hole through [his] head.” Harold Ramis quickly retorted, “It would have worked if you hadn’t stopped me.” The same comic genius and timing have stayed true over Reitman’s career and shine in “No Strings Attached.”
Do not confuse “No Strings Attached” for some breakthrough comedy cinema. There are classic romantic comedy clichés; a relationship montage, quirky friends – guilty for both Emma and Adam alike – one person ‘suddenly’ realizes that they love the other and goes out of their way to find them. It’s not that these clichés are a bad thing, and in many occasions, these tropes can be done in new ways, cleverly, or completely subverted. However, this film does not provide that – also typical of Ivan Reitman.
No one who is watching “No Strings Attached” is going to do so because of the fantastic acting of Ashton Kutcher, who removes his clothes frequently throughout the film. Portman had a more difficult challenge in the film as a medical doctor with an inability to emote reliably, but to also be a relatable female character. As a result, she seemed inconsistently emotional throughout the film. If that is something one cares about, it will be noticed, otherwise her shaky performance can be overlooked (it is Natalie Portman, after all).
In the end, if you want to watch a nice film that is full of yucks, “No Strings Attached” is a decent cinematic experience. Kutcher and Portman deliver some cringe-worthy dialogue like champs. There's a scene where Kutcher makes a 'period mix' and that pops up a couple times over the movie. In short, go see it for fun, but not for its contribution to cinema.
