Friends with Benefits

Friends with Benefits starts off a bit cringy, especially in the early scenes, but it quickly picks up and delivers one great moment after another. Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake have solid chemistry, and Woody Harrelson steals the show as the hilarious gay best friend. It's a refreshingly non-traditional rom-com, and while the plot takes a predictable path, it doesn't really matter. I debated between giving it three or four stars, but a few standout scenes really make this one worth watching, so I settled on four. (2012-02-19)

I was secretly hoping for someone to finally bring a new angle to the romantic comedy genre, but I was disappointed yet again. The filmmakers slavishly copied the established format. Apart from a decent cast, there was practically nothing to be excited about. Actually, there was something. I was glad that there wasn’t too much pathos to wade through at the end. I was also surprised that there weren’t that many funny moments; I would expect some given that it was a comedy. (2018-03-03)

The non-violent banter between Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis is unusually charming and authentic, and it exudes an unbelievably positive energy that the main characters cleverly spice up with an unprecedented pack of spicy dialogues and clever linguistic tricks. And as long as it successfully suppresses all those generic romcoms of the past decade, everything is fine. Unfortunately, inevitably, there has to be a resolution and in the last act and suddenly we find ourselves a step lower, that is, in the category of a quality romantic comedy that fails to offer anything extra and does not embellish the constantly evolving genre in any way. (2015-07-20)

Much better than No Strings Attached, but it's also no prize. The whole thing follows a typical template from beginning to end. Far more sympathetic and believable than the main protagonists were almost all of the supporting characters, undoubtedly the best of which was the perfect Woody Harrelson. The guy is just divine. I also expected it to be even funnier, even though the gag with the mobile app to identify "women's days" is perfect. (2011-09-23)

Entertaining and almost unexpectedly sincere. Unlike the cheap pulp with Natalia that was filmed in this country about six months ago. Although Mila can be a little strange at times, Justin Timberlake rocks again. Although the concluding melodrama is over the top, even there we can find some tongue-in-cheek moments that show that this movie doesn’t take itself too seriously after all. A well-made snack. (2011-11-13)