No Strings Attached is the refreshing, friends with benefits, romantic comedy we’ve all been waiting for. The last romantic comedies that were in the theaters were Leap Year and When in Rome (I know…I’m trying to block them from my memory too). Unlike many movies in its genre, No Strings Attached is a gutsy, witty, and very honest take on relationships in today’s world.
Natalie Portman plays Emma, a Los Angeles doctor-in-training, alongside Ashton Kutcher, who plays Emma’s childhood friend, Adam. The beginning of the movie almost bombards you with their history. They met at a summer camp as kids, where the two shared an awkward experience involving one eager boy and one not so interested girl (foreshadowing alert). We then find the two at a college frat party. Emma, a student at MIT, is obviously not your average party girl, looking a bit out of place in her red footie pajamas (it’ll make sense when you see it) while Adam, is your typically college guy. Emma catches Adam’s eye, which can’t be very hard when you’re wearing footie pajamas, and you can see the attraction between the two. You’re then fast-forwarded a couple months later where the two are reunited once again.
After a series of unfortunate events, Adam gets obliterated at a bar and then naked in Emma’s apartment. The next morning (once Adam is a bit more coherent but still not clothed), the two have sex before Emma runs to work and they strike a deal. They decide to be available to the other, at any time, for sex. The rules are: no emotions, no nicknames, no cuddling, and absolutely no jealously, in other words, no strings attached.
This movie is all about sex first and a relationship later which is a lot more believable than the fairy tale stories we’re fed in other movies. What’s also unique to this story is the role-reversal. It’s more predictable that the woman would become attached to the man. However, Adam becomes attached to Emma first, who refuses Adam several times when asked on a date. Emma represents the head strong, career focused, cautious but confident woman in today’s world.
While the ending comes off as a tad predictable, I think the journey Emma and Adam take is absolutely worth watching. Portman and Kutcher share chemistry on the screen that is undeniable and easy to watch. The movie also makes you wonder, can you really have sex with someone without either of you getting emotionally attached? Or does someone always wind up falling for the other?