She has to sell him on New York before midnight, when the job offer expires. this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines. For that answer we asked an expert: Guy Branum, who co-starred in No Strings Attached as Natalie Portman's roommate. I did really love Patricia Clarkson's speech about 'you're the man of my dreams.' If it sounds a recipe for disaster, that’s because it very often is. Probably not the best candidate. No expectations, no emotions, no need to polite, so you can tell the other person exactly what you like in bed. And "no strings attached" could mean the same thing but you are having Love and sex expert Sheri Meyers, PsyD, says that in order to pull off this arrangement, you have to understand the situation first. There was something nice about No Strings Attached that it actually had people in a romcom who had jobs that actually occupied their lives. I can't wait to see it when Vincent Cassel makes this movie. In other words, condoms are a must, and if you’re in the habit of spontaneous meet-ups, it’s smart for both of you to carry them. She doesn’t believe in love, nor does her job allow for the time to have breakfast with someone. She calls him. Also, I did not have a boat in No Strings Attached. Now that’s more like it. © 2020 Condé Nast. Now that the Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis romantic comedy Friends With Benefits has finally hit theaters, we can legitimately compare its plot with that of the similarly-themed, hooking-up-with-an-otherwise-platonic-buddy Ashton Kutcher and Natalie Portman romantic comedy No Strings Attached. "An inequitable relationship, on any level of intimacy, can be emotionally draining." "There's a huge difference between 'friends with benefits' and 'no strings attached,'" she says. No Strings Attached "My final assessment is that Friends with Benefits is way, way sexier; has way, way more butt in it; and has a very, very funny first half. I'll make it a tie. Later, they think it’s a bad idea — but they do it again. Kevin Kline was this light, sweet specter of death. She does. Turns out, they’re not quite as alike as you may have thought. Where Richard Jenkins is having to be a pantsless, tragic character [Jenkins' character has Alzheimer's and often walks around with no pants] and nobody can pull that off—except maybe Meryl Streep with an accent and fake teeth. I would say Natalie Portman; her character in No Strings Attached has some meat to it—she's a doctor. Still, they’re not friends. This is also no time for anyone to be shy about wanting or needing to use lube. If not, then you have the knowledge you need to move on to look for a connection that truly makes you happy. There's nothing wrong with admitting that you'd be even a little hurt to lose a good sex partner. It let him be adorable. Both Richard Jenkins and Kevin Kline are amazing actors, but Kevin Kline at least gets to be lucid—like, a person. I asked Branum, who has now seen both films, if he could be an objective critic considering his role in one of the films, 'Of course I'm going to fucking choose my movie, Mike Ryan.' But what do you think (whether you actually saw both films or just read about them now)? And it works for a while. 30 essential albums from the last 30 years. Which film is better? If this is truly a FWB and not "no strings attached," you are welcome and encouraged to sustain the "friends" part of that by continuing to do whatever activity or hobby brought you together as friends in the first place. Have an agreement ahead of time so you're clear on what's really going on. They end up making love, which freaks him out. Think carefully about how your relationship with a potential FWB might evolve if you added sex to it and how you’d deal if for some reason you two became less close. He was having fun with the notion of, 'I love dick.' It’s too late. ", The Smarmy 'Other Guy': Bryan Greenberg vs. Ben Lawson, "I'll pick Bryan Greenberg. That’s probably why friends with benefits is often a synonymous term with no strings attached. No Strings Attached: After Ashton finds out his actor father (Kevin Kline) is sleeping with his ex-girlfriend, he gets drunk and dials every woman in his cell phone. The more specific you are about setting guidelines — How often are you going to see each other? Friends with benefits? To revisit this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. I thought the guy in No Strings Attached was unbelievably overweight and bald—Woody Harrelson was just bald enough.' "Find out exactly what you're really saying yes to," says Meyers. Friends With Benefits: While drinking and watching a (fake) cliché romantic comedy at her place starring Jason Segel and Rashida Jones, they start a conversation about how sex should be like playing tennis with someone. And especially in such a light movie where, in the first half of the second act, they're just fucking the whole time—then to have this guy walk in and be like, 'I'm the specter of death.' And, yes, this Justin Timberlake–Mila Kunis romantic comedy has drawn a few comparisons to another film with almost the exact same plot: Ashton Kutcher and Natalie Portman's No Strings Attached, which was released just this past January. Women think about relationships and other people's needs. ", The Male Lead's Father: Richard Jenkins vs. Kevin Kline, "It's Kevin Kline in a walk. While you should never enter an FWB arrangement with someone you actually want to date — Don't sell yourself short! Mila Kunis had a job that she never actually did other than meeting Justin Timberlake. Which they do. The first is that you're friends but you're also agreeing to get busy together, while the second is no expectations, just sex. Romcom jobs I find the most fascinating: It's such a fascinating thing, the jobs that you're allowed to have in a romantic comedy. O.K. "There's a huge difference between 'friends with benefits' and 'no strings attached,'" she says. You know each other and its just about the sexual encounter. Be okay with the fact that your friendship may change either way. Ultimately, she’s the one who asks him to be her sex buddy. Though, it may be more amusing for me to say, 'Woody Harrelson. In an extended scene. But I liked No Strings Attached best because I fell in love with everybody a little more. Friends With Benefits: Eventually, Justin organizes a flash mob in Grand Central Station to their song, “Closing Time,” because that’s exactly what would happen at the end of a movie that started with her taking him to a flash mob in Times Square. After Ashton’s ex breaks up with his father (through Ashton), he calls Natalie from outside the hospital and says if she wants to fix things with him she needs to do it in-person not on the phone. Cosmopolitan participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. He wakes up naked on the couch in Natalie’s apartment, and, after all her friends pretend they had sex with him, she escorts him into her bedroom to put on his pants and hear his story. No Strings Attached: Natalie realizes while out-of-town for her sister’s wedding that she does want to be with Ashton. Keep hugging, kissing, and cuddling — especially in public — to a minimum, Meyers advises: "You have to stay detached or it's going to become a romantic relationship, which changes all the rules."