No Strings Attached

Reviewed by: Mr Review

Released: 21st January 2011

Directed by: Ivan Reitman

Starring: Ashton Kutcher, Natalie Portman

Certificate: 15

Adam (Ashton Kutcher) and Emma (Natalie Portman) have known each other for years. They were at school together where Adam tried to make a move on a reluctant Emma and ever since then, over many years, they keep bumping into each other. Present day and Adam has split from his girlfriend after finding out she is in a relationship with his father. Determined to have sex with anyone he can Adam gets very drunk and wakes up on Emma’s sofa. Next thing you know they are doing it in her bedroom. From there they begin a strictly physical relationship due to Emma lack of commitment towards a serious relationship. It’s not long before they learn that they want something more.

This is the type of film we expect from Kutcher and he doesn’t expand his acting abilities any further than usual, but he’s good at this genre. After her brilliant performance in ‘Black Swan’, Natalie Portman finally lets her hair down. It seems she is having fun here and surprisingly she has good chemistry with Kutcher. Whilst these two come to slowly realise they like each other it’s up to the supporting cast to keep us entertained. The stand out being Lake Bell who plays Ashton Kutcher’s work colleague Lucy. She handles physical comedy well and is really the only one who makes us crack a smile.

Knowing the story will take us to a cliché ending you hope for something extremely funny to happen or hope the two main characters have a unique relationship. We end up with a very bland experience. The direction is pleasant enough and easy on the eye but the film is let down by an unadventurous script. ‘No Strings Attached’ doesn’t add anything to the rom-com genre, we have seen it all before. The only thing that might attract you is the appealing leads.