No Strings Attached

Title: No Strings Attached

Format: DVD released May 2011

Director: Ivan Reitman

Starring: Natalie Portman, Ashton Kutcher and Kevin Kline

Adam and Emma's lives always seem to cross paths every few years since they met as teenagers in summer camp. As adults they both settle in L.A. with Emma working as a medical resident, and Adam working as an assistant on a television show and hoping to become a writer. Adam discovers that his father has begun dating his ex-girlfriend, and Adam makes it his mission to get laid. He gets drunk and calls every girl he knows-and even tries to pick a few that he doesn't-before ending up naked and passed out at Emma's.

The pair decides to have a 'no strings attached' relationship-basically they become friends with benefits. Emma is very cautious with her emotions and makes it clear she doesn't want anything serious. Except the chemistry between the pair is undeniable and soon Emma and Adam begin to wonder if there is such a thing as no strings attached.

I actually really liked this movie. It was a light, fun movie and I was totally able to relax while I was watching it. I give it four stars.

Ashton Kutcher plays Adam, and I think he was charming and cute. I liked the vulnerability that he sometimes showed, and I liked the way he acted like he was 'pro' friends with benefits even when you could tell that he wanted more. I also liked that he clearly had no clue how to handle his feelings for Emma without scaring her away, and I laughed out loud when he brought her a balloon for doing a 'good job' when they slept together. I thought that his relationship with his dad was realistic. Adam's dad was famous, but he wanted to make something out of himself without using his dad's name to get anywhere. Even when Adam really disliked his dad, the viewer knew that he still cared about him. I think a lot of parent-sibling relationships can be like that.

Emma was your typical woman with a fear of getting hurt. She tried to be strong and independent even when her heart told her otherwise. I thought she was funny too, like when she told Adam that she was going to start peeing with door open, and it was going to get weird. This was the first time I had ever seen her in a romantic comedy and I thought she played it well. She definitely has the beauty, and whenever she laughed, I usually laughed too.

The movie was light and fun and the characters tried to pretend that they weren't invested but underneath it all they were. Adam and Emma were always there for each other when it mattered the most and I think that's what made me root for them.

Was the ending predictable? Yeah. Was the story line original? Maybe not. Was it still a good movie? You bet. When you have such a great cast and someone as charming as Ashton Kutcher on the screen, how could it not be?

Review written by Cambria Hebert