No Strings Attached: It's as awful as you imagined

Yep, this is what happens when one is unemployed and has no discernible social life, you end up watching every Rom Com out there.

So, despite seeing the bad reviews for this film I thought, you know what Ashton Kutcher can pull it off sometimes and Natalie Portman is a rather fabulous actress, lets give it a go. I wish I hadn't.
Natalie is charming, but completely underused in her comedic capacity, she has done kooky and funny and vulnerable previously in Garden State which had a far superior plot and execution. Understandably actors like to take a breather sometimes, do the easy film that pays the rent, so this is Natalies pay-check movie. It is the usual fodder though for Ashton Kutcher's CV.

Ashton, oh Ashton, he has done films such as these so many times but done them so much better. I really like What Happens In Vegas, Ashton is buff and Cameron is gorgeous and funny, it does what it says on the tin. Just Married is a showcase for both Ashton and Brittany Murphy's comedic talents, its also quite sweet. No Strings Attached is just pure rubbish. I felt myself cringe 10 minutes in, Ashton is needy, and the writing is appalling. The generic rom-com can survive and be enjoyable if the writing is at least passable along with good actors. The script writer and director should not be proud of their achievement, it deserves the wooden spoon, or a rosette with 'For Taking Part' on.

The plot is generic, boy met girl at camp, then 10 years later at a frat party, then five years on in a misguided attempt to get over his ex hooking up with his father. Girl doesn't want a relationship other than sex, boy falls in love, girl realises too late so did she. It ends happy. YAWN. The father in this case is played by Kevin Kline, cast no doubt just in case the film turned out too banal for even the leads to rescue, Kline also fails in this task. He is marginally more funny than his on screen son, but the relationship between them, and the ex girlfriend who moves from father to son is played out really quite badly.

So this film I do not recommend, I have seen far better Rom Coms with generic plotlines whose script and direction compliments the actors trying to make the film less like a well trodden path and more like one with new and interesting twists, such as Definitely Maybe or The Proposal.

Do not discredit Portman for this movie though, her weighting in the acting world can afford a hit or two, so long as they don't come often.