Friends With Benefits

             Awww relationships, are they ever easy? Do they ever not get complicated? The complexity that is a romantic relationship has developed so many questions and answers and variable solutions that a whole industry has been created. Men trying to understand women and vice versa. The movie industry is no newbie to playing to this facet of human life either.
            Does that paragraph seem oddly too familiar for some reason? Let's be real, probably not because who's going to remember something that lacks any importance. But if it somehow does it's because that's how I started my review for No Strings Attached. Since I'm reviewing a movie with essentially the exact same premise why not cut a few corners right? Don't worry, I'm not going to do that. However, I can't say I wasn't a bit skeptical going into this movie since the former had come out about 5 months before it. I told you Hollywood is no newbie to playing off of the same idea over and over.
           Any who, Friends With Benefits is a movie about exactly what its title says. Justin Timberlake plays Dylan Harper an art director for a small internet company in Los Angeles. Mila Kunis (Black Swan) plays Jamie Rellis, a head hunter for a job agency in New York City, who recruits Dylan for a job at GQ Magazine. She is able to convince Dylan to take the job after his interview by spending the night taking him all around town showing him the sites, and thus sparking their friendship. Things become more intimate down the road when the two decide to take out their sexual frustration on each other. Having both just gotten out of relationships not long before and agreeing they're not ready for a new one, they decide what better way to answer their sexual needs without getting tied down. They set up rules so as to keep themselves from becoming emotionally attached. From here we watch as the two characters both seem to be falling for each other, but are far to afraid to admit it to each other or themselves.
           As I said above I was a bit skeptical going into this movie, but I had heard good things so I figured I should check it out. I'm glad I did because quite frankly, it's hilarious. Most of this is due to the fact it's aimed directly at my generation, from its plot focus to its humor. They even make fun of themselves and the type of movie they're making which I always think is great. As for the actors, Kunis has always been able to be funny going back to her work on That 70s Show and Family Guy, while we all know Timberlake can bring it thanks to his great skits on SNL. Plus, I must admit he's becoming someone I'm enjoying watch act as he's doing a really good job in both comedic and dramatic roles. That bastard, what can't he do?
           This movie has a great little cast of supporting characters around it too. Woody Harrelson (Zombieland) is probably the funniest character in the movie as he plays the gay sports director at GQ alongside Timberlake. It's really too bad he isn't in the movie more. Fair warning, he is vulgar as hell, which was completely unexpected, yet hysterical.  Then there's also Patricia Clarkson (Easy A, One Day) as Jamie's wild promiscuous mom, and Richard Jenkins (Step Brothers) and Jenna Elfman (Dharma and Greg) as Dylan's dad and sister. There's also a great little cameo by Shaun White.
            Overall, I thought this movie nailed it in what it was trying to produce. It delivered strongly on the comedy side, which was its main intent, with jokes that appealed to a mass audience, but struck hard with its target. Then when it needed its romance points it played into those well, whether gimmicky or not, and all the while didn't lose site of what the movie really was and had fun teasing themselves about it.
             I give this film a thumbs up and 3 out of 4 stars. Like I said I believe most people will enjoy this movie but anyone in the young adult range will relate to it more. It's a good date movie as it works great for both sexes. It even has a partial nudity scene of each main character to please each party so you can't go wrong. You can buy this movie on DVD or Blu-Ray now as well as rent it at your local Redbox. Enjoy!

Editor's Note:  My next review will be on the romantic comedy (once again, I know) Crazy, Stupid, Love starring Steve Carell, Julianne Moore, Ryan Gosling, and Emma Stone. Also, the Oscar nominations are being announced tomorrow so be on the lookout for those as well!!!

One Day

              The thing about book adaptations into movies is the movie is never as good as the book. To be fair, the movie never really has a shot at being better. A book will always win due to the fact it doesn't have a limit on information its able to give the audience. With a movie you're usually looking at about a 90-120 minute running time to condense a book into. This book can be anywhere from 200-1000 pages, and within those pages pack in many more details, subplots, etc. that can all help develop the story. For example, look at the Harry Potter series. With all of this it makes it harder on the screenwriter to try and cut information that has little or no relevance to the main story line, or perhaps change things so that it fits and flows better when in a movie.
             With all of this said, some movie adaptations are awful and some can be quite good. Again, look at the Harry Potter series for an example of success. Where One Day falls on this scale would have to be on the good side, though like I said above, it's not as good as the book; which yes I have read as well. One Day is based on the book of the same name by David Nicholls, who also wrote the screenplay, which I believe is big part of why it was adapted well. Now this is a love story through and through, but what makes this stand out against other ones is its completely original way in which it is told.
              In One Day, Dexter Mayhew, played by Jim Sturgess (21, Across the Universe), and Emma Morley, played by Anne Hathaway (Love and Other Drugs), meet on July 15th, 1988 after their graduation from university. They spend the night together, but nothing really happens between them and thus they decide it'd be better off if they just be friends. From this point on, the only time and interaction we see of the two is what happens on that "one day," July 15th, of every year. From this unique perspective the audience is taken through these two peoples' lives as they go through many of the hardships many people face in their own lives. Figuring out their careers, relationships, and just straight evolving as a person. All the while doing this trying to remain friends with someone as distance, people, and each other stand in the way.
            Jim Sturgess does a great job at playing Dexter as he's able to portray and transition the character from his 20s to his 40s. From the smug, cocky, self obsessed, hard partying young man all the way into a more reserved, humbler, middle aged guy with flashes of his younger self. Anne Hathaway was an interesting choice for Emma, since one she isn't British, but I think she does a decent enough job with her accent that I for one was able to forget that fact. Plus, she herself does a great job with Emma's character as she goes from a nerdy, bookworm, harsh self critic when she's younger to an ambitious, more forgiving and accepting, yet still bookworm type adult.
            The great thing about the way this story is told, for a movie's perspective, is how you're able to tell the two character's whole life stories together in such a shortened period of time. Though David Nicholls is forced to cut a lot of detail of the two characters' lives and interaction between them, he is still able to keep much of the key components of the story without affecting too much. Though this is where people who have read the book will have an issue with the movie. The forced cuts do affect getting a better, fuller understanding of the complex relationship between Dexter and Emma and how their relationship with each other affects their relationships with other people. But again, this is just something the freedom of a book allows you to do.
           However, this is something that may be not noticed at all by viewers who haven't read the book and are enjoying this story for the first time. And in either case, the story is quite good outside of just the way its told. There's a few plot twists that are quite unexpected and will most likely surprise first time viewers.
            Overall, I have to give this movie a thumbs up and 2 1/2 out of 4 stars. It's close to three and I really did enjoy it. But for me, the fact I read the book already did knock it down just a little bit. I do believe many will enjoy this movie either way, and will be happy with its outcome even if they have read the book. This movie is available now on DVD and Blu-Ray, as well as at your local Redbox. Enjoy!

Editor's Note:  The next movie I will be reviewing will be Friends With Benefits starring Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake

Easy A

          Ah the classic teen comedy. It usually centers around high school and all of the troubles that come with it. Are you popular or a geek? Do you have sex or are you a virgin? Blah blah blah. We all know this. Most of us have seen plenty of teen comedies that we never need to see anymore ever again. The thing that makes some of these movies classics or better than others, is of course the writing and how funny it can be, but that also usually centers around a fresh take on the same old story lines. The movie Easy A does precisely this.
          In Easy A, Emma Stone (Superbad, Zombieland) plays Olive, a smart, average, middle of the pack high schooler. That is until a little white lie that she tells her best friend gets spread across the entire school like wild fire. That lie is that she has had sex and from this point on her life begins to mirror that off the main character in the book "The Scarlett Letter," which she happens to be studying in school.
           Discouraged by this at first, as she begins to be judged and discriminated against by everyone in school, Olive decides to make the best of the situation. She begins to use the school rumor mill to propel her social and financial standing within the school. As always, this doesn't come without its own set of consequences that Olive must deal with.
            As usual with these type of movies there are the secondary story lines of romantic relationships, friendships, and other moral dilemmas that come our way in high school. Though this movie is aimed towards girls it doesn't trap itself in that mindset as all of the jokes and innuendos can be appreciated by all, especially by any one who has ever been to high school.
           Though Emma Stone does a great job in this role, the supporting cast cannot be overlooked. Stanley Tucci (The Lovely Bones) and Patricia Clarkson (Shutter Island, The Green Mile) do a great job as Olive's laid back trusting parents. Then there is Amanda Bynes (What A Girl Wants, Hairspray) who is perfect as the highly religious over the top goody-goody. Throw in Thomas Haden Church (Sideways) and Lisa Kudrow (Friends) as the married school faculty that affect Olive's life and it's quite the ensemble supporting cast.
           Easy A is an easy going teen comedy that has plenty of laughs and is a fun watch at anytime. It doesn't try to be something its not and that's what makes it work. Like I said above, even though it is aimed toward a more female audience it doesn't come out that way, so I recommend this movie to all looking for a good laugh. I give this movie a thumbs up and 3 out of 4 stars. Enjoy!

My next review will be on the movie Kick-Ass starring Nicholas Cage so look forward to that.