What Do The Critics Say?

"Will Gluck and his co-writers originally feint in the direction of mocking formulaic romantic comedies, but by the end, they've surrendered to the genre's worst impulses. So while I agree with Kunis's character that Katherine Heigl rom-coms are awful, I also think a film needs to be a lot better than Friends with Benefits if it wants to engage in the activity of bashing rival multiplex fillers." Mat Brunson CREATIVE LOAFING "With its central theme of sex without commitment, this attractive screwball comedy has more going for it than its premise implies. It's playful and funny and its charismatic stars Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake squeeze charm from the lively script that explores every little crevice of a relationship. It's no surprise that Jamie and Dylan discover that there is more to their relationship than sex, but the journey is an engaging one with a few surprises along the way." Louise Keller URBAN CINEFILE "It's not brain surgery but it's surprisingly difficult to make this rom-com thing work well. And Will Gluck does his best with a predictable formula. It doesn't hit the heights but it doesn't sink under the predictability either. It's slightly above the bell-weather mark for me." Margaret Pomeranz ABC AT THE MOVIES "The promise of a fresh, realistic take on relationships nosedives into the same shallow end of the stale, stagnant impulse pool where they factory farm every other contemporary rom-com. few minor roles, like Woody Harrelson as a gay, alpha-male sports writer who gets in a lot of Timberlake taunting, Patricia Clarkson as Kunis's free-spirited mother, Shaun White playing a foul-mouthed, evil version of himself and a mildly funny jab at Scientology that must have been added to the script without co-star Jenna Elfman's knowledge." Dave White MOVIES.COM

"Like many films of its ilk, "Friends with Benefits" is essentially bipolar in its mood swings between coarse, graphic sex comedy and sweet aw-shucks love story. (What's constant, of course, is the self-conscious irony that is the current era's default setting for everything.) Occasionally, a genuine human emotion or truthful moment struggles to the surface, and we catch glimpses of the really fine movie that might have been. An unbilled Woody Harrelson adds plenty of un-funny comedy as the gay sports editor at Dylan's magazine. ("Me likes cock, so I'm strickly dickly," is a characteristic "quip.")" John Beifuss COMMERCIAL APPEAL "Well, it's sort of average, I think, and it's a shame, I suppose, that No Strings Attached had basically the same plot, so this is utterly predictable. You know exactly where it's going to go and there are no deviations and no surprises so it doesn't really quite come off, I don't think." David Stratton ABC AT THE MOVIES "To steal a gag from David Spade, I liked "Friends with Benefits" better when it was called "No Strings Attached". The whole casual sex among friends routine practiced in “Strings” earlier this year proves superior to “Friends” despite the presence of Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis. The whole film feels as artificial as that TV relic. As soon as a personality tic is mentioned, you know it’ll be churned up as a punch line soon enough. But that’s the whole movie, a series of sitcom-like moments smushed together with little narrative paste." Christian Toto WHAT WOULD TOTO WATCH "The movie is an unfunny, unromantic trifle about two people, Dylan and Jamie) who, after a short first meeting, decide to have a purely sexual relationship with no emotional involvement. Part of that is believable because neither conveys even the slightest ability to create any kind of emotional involvement with the other. They take "lack of chemistry" to another level. The problem is that neither conveys even an iota of sex appeal. One will rarely see more boring bedroom scenes, most of which seem to concentrate on each giving the other oral sex under the sheets." Tony Medley TOLUCAN TIMES

The Inside Story Director Will Gluck was looking for another project, having just finished editing "Easy A" for Screen Gems, when the script for Friends with Benefits came to his attention. "I’ve always wanted to do a movie that was an update of the old Hepburn and Tracy movies," Gluck ("Fired Up!") explained, citing his love for the sexy, banter-filled comedies of Hollywood's golden past. So with its pointed dialogue, enticingly adult comic situations and charming yet flawed characters, "Friends with Benefits" certainly hit the nail on the head conceptually. Dylan and Jamie are the Hepburn/Tracy characters of our time, with our sensibilities, aspirations, and most of all this generation's views on family, friendship, love, and sex. Gluck knew that essential to the success of the movie would be casting actors who would match the dynamic and flirtatious chemistry captured in those landmark films. "Justin and Mila had such good chemistry together, it’s unbelievable. It was like magic. You just want to watch them do anything together. The most important part of this movie is when they’re on screen together. I hit the lottery with those two together. Mila’s funny, smart, charismatic, beautiful, goofy. It’s so fun to watch her, especially with Justin." Gluck recalls catching Timberlake on "Saturday Night Live" and being wowed. "I was impressed, and then he did another "Saturday Night Live" and he was even funnier. And the reason he’s so funny is because he’s a great actor. This is his first full-time comedic role. He can do anything. He’s so charismatic that you can’t keep your eyes off him." For his part, Timberlake not only loved the adult humor of the screenplay, but was intrigued by where Dylan and Jamie are in their respective lives when the movie introduces them to us. Both are young and successful at work, but they're also circumspect about love, and struggling with family issues. "Just the things that happen to you when you get to a certain age, like my age," says Timberlake, "where you’re sort of questioning the 'establishment' of what you’ve grown up with: as far as relationships are concerned; what it all means." Mila Kunis saw her character Jamie as someone who "believes in true love and believes that Prince Charming is out there and is desperately seeking that." Jamie doesn’t wear her heart on her sleeve, though. "She’s a typical New Yorker," Kunis offered. Indeed, Jamie is sharp, fast-talking, determined, and by all accounts more of a realist than a dreamer. Jamie is also funny and easy to be with. So when Dylan moves to New York after she recruits him for an exciting position at GQ Magazine, the two become fast friends, comrades in cynicism, ready to laugh at the world's craziness and each other's foibles. With Timberlake’s Dylan working hard to establish himself at a new job in a new city and no time to pursue life’s more frivolous aspects, and Kunis's Jamie meeting too many 'nice' guys who turn out to be not-so-nice, the two come to an agreement asserting mutual benefits without the emotional complications of dating. Jamie’s mother, Lorna: brought to life by two time EMMY award winning actress Patricia Clarkson; provides a good deal of humor, color and pointed insight into Jamie’s character. While Gluck, having recently worked with Clarkson on "Easy A", was well aware of her genius, it was the first time Kunis ("Black Swan") and Clarkson ("The Pledge") had worked together. Kunis was smitten, describing Clarkson as, "One of the greatest actresses I’ve ever worked with. I so wish we had more scenes together because I loved working with her." Clarkson describes Lorna as, "a single mother. The kind who was probably a groupie for some rock band in the seventies and eighties." Tucked away into the movie are references to the great classic films of our current generation (not to mention a fictional movie within the movie, Jamie and Dylan repeatedly watch that hilariously covers every romantic comedy trope in the book). What "Friends With Benefits" asks is this: does being cynical of love’s clichés make you blind to the genuine article? "These two characters know that they’re going through something that people have gone through in the past," says Gluck (who produced 13 episodes of TV'S "Grosse Pointe"). "They are also very cognizant of the fact that they are in a relationship without commitment, just having sex, and that it’s probably going to end badly." Kunis laughs as she points out the irony. "The movie references other films so much, that life starts imitating art a little for these two, but they’re so cynical, they don’t even see it." At its core though, she says, "chances are you don’t have that fairytale romance. This is a very organic version of how two people meet and how things evolve. It’s very much the truth." Timberlake ("The Social Network") sees a stealth aspect to the movie's fun and games. "I think the heart of this film sneaks up on you. I think that that’s what will get audiences: before they know it, they’re completely invested in these characters because they’re so likeable." Bit, what of the notion of friends with benefits? Is it really possible for two people to be boldly, bodily intimate while escaping the possibility of being hurt or the responsibility of having hurt someone else? Emotionally, Timberlake can’t say, but physically he offers a clue: "Sex without emotion is painful." Kunis agrees. "I think I hurt my back. You want to talk about the un-sexiest sex scenes? Us for two weeks. At one point I was like, 'I don’t even know what to say to you, I can’t feel my leg.' So I would say 'friends with benefits' does not work in life!" Dylan's father, a respected journalist, now retired and suffering from the early stages Alzheimer’s disease, is touchingly played by 2008 Moscow International Film Festival Best Actor winner Richard Jenkins ("The Visitor"). Dylan's sister Annie, played by 1999 Golden Globe winner Jenna Elfman (TV'S "Dharma & Greg"), feels the weight of handling their father’s challenges alone, while raising her son. "We have so many great actors in this movie," says Timberlake, "but to have Richard as your dad: great scenes playing back and forth; I think that’s been my favorite exchange." It’s not common to have a serious issue such as Alzheimer’s threaded into what's primarily a comedy. "I like doing more emotional stuff," Gluck says. "As long as they can laugh about the tough situations they’re going through, that makes it even better." For Elfman (who co-starred with Harrelson in 1999's "Edtv"), her role represents the voice of reason for Dylan. "My character thinks he's lost his mind and can't see what's right under his nose, which is this amazing girl with this great sense of humor." She cites the family scenes as crucial to understanding the movie's message about what's important in life. Jenkins offers a similar viewpoint about the movie. "The thing about having Alzheimer's is you do realize you don't have a lot of time. If you feel something for someone, you should not play games." Serving as both court jester and sage in Dylan’s New York world is his new co-worker Tommy: an athletic, flamboyant and totally gay art director at GQ, played to profanely funny perfection by 2008 Screen Actors Guild Award winner Woody Harrelson ("No Country for Old Men"). Harrelson (Independent Spirit Award in 2010 for his role in "The Messenger") says it took him a bit to devise an approach for such an outrageous character. "It took me a second to really get it." "The thing that was interesting to me about Tommy Bollinger is that he’s kind of a guy’s guy. Like one of these guys who talks about girls in a pretty graphic terminology, but as a gay man." According to Kunis (Jackie Burkhart in "That '70s Show") there were plenty of laughs on set when Harrelson was working. "Woody cracks me up like no other. I cannot do a scene with him because I just start laughing. He looks at me and I just start laughing." Timberlake had the same problem in a scene with Harrelson, trying to keep a straight face. "It’s a real challenge to just Buster Keaton the whole thing, when you're sort of dying inside." For Harrelson, working on "Friends with Benefits" has rekindled his love for comedy. "It’s like coming to work in a playground, you know? I haven’t felt quite that extreme since "Cheers" where everybody is always trying to come up with new things to make a scene funnier. Will is just a great director. He really has a sense of comedy that’s extraordinary and comes up with amazing ideas on the spur of the moment." "Will and I are like kindred spirits in that way," Timberlake notes. "I find that I thrive in that type of environment, probably because I come from the stage so you get used to having to change things on a dime. The world of improv is a very comfortable place for me." Kunis chips in with her own praises as well about being directed by Gluck. "Will is so great to work with. I don’t think we’ve ever cut. I’m pretty sure we roll out the forty-five minutes that we have and you’ll see Will running into a shot, running out, running in and out: he thinks so quickly and so fast." "Friends with Benefits" was shot during the summer of 2010 at some of the most iconic locations that New York City and Los Angeles have to offer. Gluck knew that when playing with the tropes of a New York-set comedy, the film is communicating with the audience with an already established language of cinema. When it came to New York, Gluck wanted to hit such picturesque locales as Central Park, the Hudson River, Times Square and Grand Central Station. Doing so during the height of the tourism season, however, proved to be a little challenging. "It was really tough to film in those places to begin with, but when you add into the mix Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis and Woody Harrelson, it gets crazy. Within ten minutes of our showing up we would have thousands of people watching. Every day of this movie has been documented online." For example, a simple walking shot of Justin Timberlake on 5th Avenue, brought the opposite sidewalks to a standstill for two full hours. Likewise, the two flash mob scenes, one at Grand Central and another at Times Square, brought hundreds of fans who gamely stood and watched production until the early morning hours. Scenes in Central Park gathered huge crowds, while the actors worked with comparable ease on a small boat on the Hudson River. When it came to shooting in Los Angeles, the production encountered a different vibe. "New York was so electric," Gluck summarized, "and I like filming in New York City, but there is something about being in L.A. where you can just concentrate on the work and not so much the pageantry of shooting a film." Timberlake says that's because "L.A. has always been a town where movies get filmed. People stop and look around a little bit. But I think they get bored really easily because there is probably some other movie filming down the street." L.A. featured sites such as Mann’s Chinese Theatre, the beaches of Malibu, Hollywood's Pantages Theatre, downtown's historic Union Station, Los Angeles International Airport and the ultimate Los Angeles set piece, the Hollywood sign. What's It All About?

Dylan and Jamie certainly aren't in a settling-down frame of mind. When New York-based executive recruiter Jamie targets her considerable headhunting skills on luring hotshot LA-based art director Dylan to take a dream job in the Big Apple, they quickly realize what kindred spirits they are. They've each been through so many failed relationships that they're ready to give up on love and focus on having fun. When Dylan moves to New York and the pair start hanging out regularly, they share plenty of laughs over a twin belief that love is a myth propagated by Hollywood movies. That's when these two begin a decidedly grown-up experiment: a no strings attached commitment. But, can these two fast friends: who are successful, unattached, and scornful of commitment; explore new terrain, while avoiding all the pitfalls that come with their bold move to a bawdy, sexy ride into uncharted territory?

The Verdict "For me I don't know which Timberlake role is the worst: Scott Delacorte in "Bad Teacher" or Dylan Harper in "Friends With Benefits". Of course: Scott Delacorte in "Bad Teacher". After teaming up with Cameron Diaz for the bloody awful "Bad Teacher", Timberlake latest role casts him alongside kinda cute, Kunis. Really, they both should have known better. "Friends With Benefits" is a film with the lot. There's lots of faked sexless sex; lots of scenes with Kunis in and out of an assortment of underwear; a buffed Timberlake; Woody Harrelson playing the worst gay guy in film history; and plenty of tacky, sleazy humour (including a crack at Alzheimer suffers) you'd expect to find in the lowest calibre of teen flicks. Which is obviously the target audience the filmmakers have in their sights. The premiere screening I attended didn't raise much of a response from the audience. Sure, there were a few laughs, but there's nothing more than twitter/snigger factor here. Bloody hell! "Friends With Benefits" makes "No Strings Attached" look like a multi Oscar effort. As for the storyline, well they could have called this one "No Strings Attached 2". Sadly, this no-brainer from Will Gluck will leave most feeling pretty flat: especially if you really enjoyed his previous effort "Easy A". And to prove I am not a mean-spirited basterd, I will admit that I can see some people enjoying this one (with the emphasis on, 'some'). If your brains located in your groin this is truly unmissable! Who Is Playing Who?

Justin Timberlake Mila Kunis Patricia Clarkson Jenna Elfman Bryan Greenberg Richard Jenkins Woody Harrelson Nolan Gould Andy Samberg Shaun White Andrew Fleming Catherine Reitman Courtney Henggeler Masi Oka Tiya Sircar Christopher T. Wood Emma Stone Lili Mirojnick

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Dylan Jamie Lorna Annie Parker Mr Harper Tommy Sam Quincy Himself Driver Female Co-Worker Flight Attendant Darin Arturo Morena Hostess Ira Ungerleider Kayla Laura

The Production Team Directed by Will Gluck Screenplay by Keith Merryman/David A. Newman/Will Gluck Story by Harley Peyton/Keith Merryman/David A. Newman Produced by Liz Glotzer/Will Gluck/Martin Shafer/Janet Zucker/Jerry Zucker Cinematography by Michael Grady Film Editing by Tia Nolan Casting by Lisa Miller Production Design by Marcia Hinds Art Direction by Bo Johnson Set Decoration by Cindy Coburn & Alyssa Winter Costume Design by Renee Ehrlich Kalfus Run Time 109 minutes Rated MA15+ [AUST] Copyright ©2011 - Sony Pictures - All Rights Reserved ©1999-2011 - The Movie Pages & Impact Internet Services - All Rights Reserved. Protected by Australian & International Copyright, Trademark Laws & Intellectual Property Rights.