The Movie
How far we've come from the days of When Harry Met Sally, which wondered aloud if men and women could be friends, without sex complicating their lives. Now, in the era of No Strings Attached, singletons apparently postulate the possibilities of sex without emotional involvement. And so this romantic comedy from director Ivan Reitman and first-time screenwriter Elizabeth Meriwether navigates the strange, scary, wonderful sea of hookups for that current generation to whom texting is the preferred method of communication.
The paths of commitment-phobic Emma and super-swell Adam (Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher) cross several times over the years before they finally hit the sheets, and they quickly agree to keep their dealings purely physical, to "use each other for sex at all hours of the day and night, nothing else." We suspect from the movie poster and the Blu-ray cover on down that this movie can't be as simple and obvious as fuck buddies (the original title, by the way) who turn into something more, but that is exactly what we get.
And despite its hipness, the movie falls victim to a host of rom-com clichés, notably an abundance of the sort of perpetually quick-witted characters we only find in Hollywood, their sole relevance to the plot being to give the principals someone to banter with. But in the plus column, Portman is charmingly weird, there are a handful of genuinely funny bits, and overall Strings' cinematic heart is pure. Should we ask much more from a love story?
The Picture
Colors are strong, almost exaggerated in Reitman's perfect movie world. The 2.4:1 No Strings Attached was shot on film, and the clarity is impressive--no mistaking this Blu-ray for standard definition--but there are modest noise and grain on display as well. Blacks are more than acceptable, although they can become moderately harsh and undelineated at times.
The Sound
The above-average DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack is a suitable accompaniment, a solid effort but with no real "wow." An abundance of pop songs, even a "live" performance in one scene demonstrate the requisite multichannel mix and subtle, credible presence. Surround effects are there too, but only incidentally so. This track is all about the dialogue, which is almost always perfectly legible.
The Extras
The audio commentary by director Ivan Reitman is earnest and upbeat, elaborating on many of the same points he makes in "Sex Friends: Getting Together," a more-substantive-than-usual 21-minute "making of." "Inside the Sassy Halls of Secret High" takes us behind the scenes of the fictitious TV-show-within-the-movie (eleven minutes), while "Modern Love: The Dos and Dont's" offers cast/crew ruminations on "romance" these days (nine minutes).
The six deleted scenes include two musical numbers (eleven minutes total), and two "Alternate Storyline Scenes" reveal a post-breakup relationship that played out differently at one point (four minutes). All of these video extras are in HD. Disc Two is a hybrid platter carrying the movie in standard definition for all DVD players, in addition to a Digital Copy for iTunes or Windows Media.
Final Thoughts
Justly R-rated for its profanity and sex-related talk but minimal nudity, No Strings Attached seems keenly focused on an audience of twentysomethings sufficiently emboldened to look for love but perhaps not lucky enough not to have found it yet. If you're searching for an enjoyable Friday night rental however, without the daunting commitment to a purchase, you may have met your match.
Product Details
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