Easy A director Will Gluck returns to theaters with a self-aware romantic comedy that is as smart and sassy as it is sleek and sexy. No mean feat considering the rom-com genre has become synonymous will dull and/or dumb efforts that typically pair a pushy bitch with an infantile schlub, then demand audiences swoon as they kiss in the final scene. Gluck doesn’t reinvent the wheel with the R-rated Friends With Benefits, instead he knowingly winks at the genre’s conventions with sharp wit and a fresh point of view, creating a winning comedy that is fearlessly ribald yet unfailingly sweet.
Friends With Benefits kicks off much like the international trailer. Leads Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis race to establish their relationship baggage as their soon-to-be-exes dump them – at break neck speed! (Gluck and the audience both know this is a necessary step; so why belabor the plot point?) Once Emma Stone and Andy Samberg complete their cameos with curt one-liners, it’s off to the meet-cute! From here on out, Timberlake and Kunis shoulder the script together – effortlessly bandying about rapid-fire banter with a skill and panache reminiscent of Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn. (And no – I don’t make that comparison lightly.)
Timberlake plays Dylan, an L.A. art director who fears commitment and prefers to go with the flow rather than think of the future. Kunis takes on Jamie, a corporate headhunter and the quintessential neurotic New Yorker with a quick-tongue and an unbeatable ability to roll with the punches. Jamie lures Dylan East to interview for a high-rank position at GQ. And when she can’t sell him on the chic opportunity alone, she decides to sell him on the City itself. What follows is an endearing frolic around Manhattan that earnestly revels in the glory of the Big Apple. (It should be noted a substantial amount of the film was shot on location in New York City, which is beautifully and lovingly captured by Easy A cinematographer Michael Grady.) Of course, Dylan is sold, and the two begin a chummy relationship that eventually leads to a pragmatic discussion of why they should become the titular Friends With Benefits.
Yes, the storyline is predictable (another facet of the rom-com structure), but what is really remarkable about Friends is that Gluck and his cast infuse the entire venture with an unadulterated vibrancy and spunk that make it a rollicking good time. Timberlake is in turns alluring, adorable and maddening as he swivels from flirt to hurt to commitment-phobe, and Kunis finally gets a movie role worthy of her comedic prowess and proves girls can work a dirty joke just as well as boys. Plus, the pair shares a chemistry that is absolutely electric. They are totally believable as buddies, yet thoroughly titillating as lovers. Then, to add some supporting flare, there’s the always-magnificent Patricia Clarkson.
She pops up abruptly, catching the two canoodling and lets loose with a string of awkward mom comments that will have audiences roaring with laughter because these are not the kind of shy horrified reproaches moms typically say in rom-coms. Instead, Clarkson sniffs a mostly naked Timberlake before insisting he, “Slam away,” with (on?) her daughter. Sure, it’s just a more extreme version of the hold-over-hippie mom she portrayed in Easy A, but who cares? She’s hilarious. Also adding solid comedic support is Woody Harrelson as Dylan’s work buddy, the sports editor at GQ. Like the many advice-giving male confidante characters that have come before, Harrelson’s is an extremely boisterous and macho man. The twist here: he’s gay. Unashamedly outrageous but never clownish, Harrelson’s Tommy is equal parts testosterone and wisdom. And like the unhinged cowboy he played in Zombieland, he’s a joy to watch. And finally, to add a little texture to all the raunch, here comes consummate character actor Richard Jenkins.
During the film’s second act, Dylan invites Jamie – just as friends – to accompany him to L.A. to visit his family. This is when Jamie (and the audience) discovers Dylan’s long-guarded secret: his brilliant journalist-father is suffering from Alzheimer’s. I have to admit, this reveal initially gave me pause. Here the comedy was rolling along, full of fun and sex-soaked humor, and then in charges the Alzheimer’s plot. As someone who has witnessed the soul-crushing effects of this disease, I held my breath, fearing an insensitive treatment of the condition would spoil everything Friends had built. Happily, thanks to Jenkins’ masterful character, Dylan’s dad avoids being a cheap emotional manipulation or a tacky ploy for easy laughs. Instead, he was at times humorous, but overall recognizably real and engaging, and blends well into the proceedings. Jenkins, who is perfectly cast, breaks your heart just right.
Now back to the funny stuff…
Put simply, Friends With Benefits is a risky rom-com crafted by someone who clearly appreciates the long-suffering genre. Clearly Gluck did his homework, keenly observing a wide range of romantic comedies. He even mocks the worst of rom-com clichés with a film-within-the-film starring Rashida Jones and Jason Segel set in a New York that is clearly not New York. (Example: there are palm trees outside “Grand Central Station.”) Ultimately, Gluck does wonders with Friends With Benefits: it’s unceasingly energetic but never obnoxious. It’s achieves poignant without falling prey to sappy. And beyond all that – it’s an R-rated comedy with plenty of raunchiness that still maintains a heartfelt and honest core. For all its crude humor, and the occasional bare ass (both Kunis and Timberlake in case you were wondering), Friends never descends to pandering. It’s light, cheeky and inventive. In fact, it may be the best comedy of the summer!
Friends With Benefits opens July 22.
View the Red-Band Trailer Here.