Friends With Benefits (Will Gluck, 2011): USA
Reviewed by Kyle Calbreath. Viewed on DVD.
Two films came out this past year based upon the idea of being emotionless sex fulfilled buddies. One was original, vulgar and full of quotable moments and the other, well, stared Ashton Kutcher.
These films would be so aptly named Friends with Benefits and No Strings Attached. Again one was fun and fresh and the other stared Ashton Kutcher. And instead of renting or attending the theater to view an awards season film I instead choose these two charmers to keep my ever wandering attention span.
Friends with Benefits is the tale of two young attractive people who are both in the dumps with relationships. Dylan, a safe and creative media artist, (Justin Timberlake) takes to New York to pursue a job opportunity brought to him by a beautiful and sly corporate head hunter, Jamie (Mila Kunis). They become fast friends and after some time chilling with one another decide to make the leap and have sex without the emotion, to become friends with benefits.
No Strings Attached is the same story line but less interesting
The Artist (Michel Hazanavicius, 2011): France / Belgium
Reviewed by Kathleen Amboy. Viewed at Paseo Nuevo, Santa Barbara, CA.
It’s 1927 and the year of the talkies; a huge event in Hollywood where careers precariously depend on one’s voice. Some film stars are able to make this transition easily while others fade into obscurity.
George Valentin (Jean Dujardin) is The Artist, a popular silent film star with the charm of Douglas Fairbanks and the elegance of Rudolph Valentino, and his favorite sidekick is a white and brown Jack Russell Terrier (Uggie).
Producer Al Zimmer (John Goodman), cautions George of the encroaching talkie dilemma, but he quickly dismisses it. On his current film set George connects with a starlet named PeppyMiller (Berenice Bejo), but faithfully returns home to Doris (Penelope Ann Miller), his wife of many years.
Soon talkies become predominant and Peppy’s career rises, as George’s popularity plummets. As the studio announces the end of production for silents, George decides to invest his own money into another production, but the numbers don’t lie and it’s a dismal failure.
After the stock market crashes the studio abandons him, as well as his loyal fans and wife Doris; George quickly turns to drink when left with only his personal valet Clifton (James
