The age-old problem of desiring perks without putting forth any effort to earn them is addressed in the film “No Strings Attached.”
In the comedy, Adam (Ashton Kutcher) and Emma (Natalie Portman) are two acquaintances who run into each other every few years in an unrealistically beautiful Los Angeles setting. With each increasingly awkward encounter, it becomes painfully evident that the two share an attraction to each other, but only in the most superficial, sexual way.
After their first date at “some stupid thing” of Emma’s — which turns out to be her father’s funeral — it is clear that she is no typical girl, and wants nothing to do with a traditional relationship. Instead, she just wants the fun part — sex. Being a testosterone-driven dude who’s looking for a good time every now and then, Adam agrees to a no-strings hookup arrangement conceived by Emma that includes no jealousy, no lying and no cuddling.
“No Strings Attached” benefits from its well-cast group of supporting characters, including Emma’s sassy Indian roommate played by Mindy Kaling, more commonly known as Kelly on NBC’s “The Office,” and Wallace (Chris “Ludacris” Bridges) as Adam’s comically supportive friend, always inspiring him to improve his sex game.
It is enjoyably awkward to watch Adam reach out to Emma in an effort to win her affection. He goes to all lengths, including an awkward “you look beautiful” comment in public that only wins him a perplexed look, and making Emma a period mix tape with songs such as “Red Red Wine” and “Bleeding Love.” His efforts, however, are as unsuccessful as they are numerous and cheesy.
Kutcher has a knack for portraying the lovesick puppy who can’t curb his clumsy gestures of love. Although he has played this role time and time again, it never gets old.
However, it is Portman who truly shines as she throws audiences for a loop over and over. It is hard to imagine that she could actually have no desire to give into Adam’s yearning for a true relationship, but she does so convincingly.
She covers all sides of the emotional spectrum flawlessly, ranging from an arrogant beauty who can’t be tied down to a romantically scared girl whose on-screen tears elicit true sadness in viewers as they watch her sharp eyebrows tilt upward in the middle as her eyes begin to stream.
The film suffers in the middle when an inevitable attachment and affection develops in Adam, but not in Emma. She rejects him with an unfathomable vigor that leaves Kutcher’s fans to beg the question, “What is wrong with this chick?”
The plot becomes depressing as the two walk through life alone and their friends grow tired of their pessimism and sorrow.
Despite the fact that they are entirely different, with Emma working as a doctor and Adam struggling to introduce his writing at the TV show he works at, the pair has a unique bond with highly compatible smart-ass personalities. And although they are fine in their initial months of hooking up in public places at a moment’s notice, they clearly belong together. The long wait until their unavoidable reunion is a bit exhausting and it makes the film seem slightly longer than it actually is.
The comedy is restored in the end with the return of the amiable awkwardness seen in the beginning and several unexpected outcomes involving the supporting characters, which can be seen during the credit-roll.
A hindrance in the film is its “R” rating, which could have been avoided with a few less drug references and slightly less nudity. It fell victim to a film trend of upping the ante, with almost indistinguishable raciness that eliminates many potential viewers — the under 17 crowd — from experiencing it.
With many memorable one-liners, viewers will undoubtedly walk away from “No Strings Attached” with many new phrases to repeat weeks after the movie has finished.
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