“No Strings Attached,” Ivan Reitman’s (“Dave”) latest is a romantic comedy starring Natalie Portman (“Black Swan”) and Ashton Kutcher (“Valentine’s Day”). Without any debate, the aforementioned statement defines the movie as a “chick flick.” And that it is. But in the interest of full disclosure, allow me to pose that as a college-going male, if dragged to the movie by a significant other, odds are you won’t be too disappointed.
Though “No Strings Attached” goes through all the generic tropes of the female-oriented genre, it reverses the gender roles in a witty fashion and provides well-defined supporting characters, which allows it to break the mold of the average “chick flick.”
Emma (Portman) and Adam (Kutcher), two lifelong friends, reunite in Los Angeles, where they are currently working. Both are attracted to one another, but while Adam is looking for a steady relationship, Emma is looking for a steady hookup. Adam agrees to her demands, but eventually he needs more. Pretty standard fare, right (minus the role reversal)?
The core of the film lies in the witty bantering between the two leads, provided by writer Elizabeth Meriwether, and director Reitman’s ability to elicit likable performances from his leads. On the other hand, the main strength of the film is the fleshed-out roles of the supporting characters that have the ability to do just that: support the film.
In particular, Kevin Kline (“The Extra Man”) portrays Kutcher’s egomaniacal father with practiced verve that gets the best performance out of Kutcher to date. Another actor able to bolster Kutcher’s ability is Lake Bell (“It’s Complicated”) as Adam’s co-worker and potential mate who embodies how a beautiful and talented human being can question their value in the few scenes she is in.
On Portman’s side, her roommates, played by Mindy Kaling (TV’s “The Office”), Guy Branum (TV’s “Chelsea Lately”) and Greta Gerwig (“Greenberg”) add seasoned comedic timing, but in particular, Gerwig and Adam’s friend Eli (Jake M. Johnson) add a sense of pathos as they expertly convey a new couple in an honest and healthy relationship.
Ultimately, as this is a Hollywood-produced “chick flick,” the film’s outcome is pretty obvious. I will admit that the few laugh-out-loud moments, the charisma of the two leads and the backup they receive from the remarkably human supporting cast make “No Strings Attached” a movie that most males would be pleased to be dragged to (though not likely to admit afterward). B-
“Gnomeo & Juliet,” an animated update of the Shakespeare classic in the backyards of two squabbling lawn gnome families, is a cute diversion featuring spot-on voice-overs by some of the most prominent British thespians today, including Michael Caine, Maggie Smith, Patrick Stewart and Emily Blunt, among others.
The production, executively produced by Elton John, contains a number of his hits and two original songs that add a nice levity to the witty production. Additionally, the short run time allows for both parents to look past the familiar story and children to remain entertained, though much of the dialogue that will go over their heads. B
Ari Silber is a Loyola MBA student. Before graduate school, he worked for nine years in the Los Angeles film industry, focusing on marketing, publicity and distribution.
He can be reached at
