Friends with Benefits

Fortunately for chick flick fanatics, the two romcoms are different enough to overcome the inevitable comparisons. Personally, I think I like Friends with Benefits slightly more, for two reasons: Justin. Timberlake. The guy just continues to impress on so many levels – acting, singing, dancing, comedy. It almost seems unfair.

Timberlake plays Dylan, a cute graphic designer wunderkind from L.A. who is wooed to NYC by a cute headhunter named Jamie (Kunis), who wants him to take a high-profile job with GQ. The two quickly bond over former relationship woes and a genuine friendship develops – with benefits that inevitably lead to complications. Timberlake and Kunis are two disgustingly attractive individuals, but I’ll let that slide since the two do share some decent on-screen chemistry and their banter is generally entertaining.

Friends with Benefits is a traditional Hollywood romantic comedy that likes to make fun of the traditional Hollywood romantic comedy. It simultaneously disparages and embraces all the sap and miscues that make the genre what it is. The movie is appropriately rated ‘R’ because there’s a lot of sex in it – but there’s not much nudity (heck, it’s downright tame compared to Kunis’ fantasy sex scene with none other than Natalie Portman in Black Swan). And it’s not a raunchy comedy. It’s more of a dramedy, thanks to a moving sub-plot involving Dylan’s family (including Jenna Elfman as his single-mom sister and Richard Jenkins as his Alzheimer’s-stricken dad).

Like No Strings Attached, you can pretty much figure out how the movie’s gonna end. It may be a tad racy, but it’s not at all edgy, and it ties up neatly in a bow – in true Hollywood romantic comedy fashion. It’s kind of a shame that Hollywood has to keep making movies that reinforce the notion that a girl-boy friendship without intimacy is a farce and that intimacy can ruin an otherwise good relationship. But that’s way too serious a debate for summer. So go – enjoy. Friends with Benefits is a solid chick flick (for adults).

Black Swan is dark, strange, and oddly mesmerizing. If you like other movies from director Darren Aronofsky (The Wrestler, The Fountain, Requiem for a Dream, Pi), then you’ll probably like this one too. Aronofsky creates a world of stark contrast – literally and figuratively – painting the characters and the setting in alternating shades of black and white, and then plenty of gray. It is artfully done. But you need to be in the mood for art.

Portman plays Nina, a committed-to-the-point-of-obsessed ballet dancer who finally gets her big break – a chance to play the Swan Queen in a new, innovative take on Tchaikovsky’s classic Swan Lake. But to truly succeed in the role, Nina must learn to find and embrace her dark side. That quest leads her down a dark and twisted path that includes self-mutilation, sexual fantasy, and a kinky love scene with her main rival/frenemy (Kunis). It’s all a bit weird and trippy and depressing… and the main characters look so alike that it’s hard to tell them apart, especially in the beginning. But the dancing is captivating, the mind games are challenging, and without question, the individual performances are outstanding. Black Swan isn’t for everyone. But I wouldn’t be surprised to see Natalie Portman on the short list for a ‘best actress’ nomination.

His nemesis Carnegie is played by the best villainous actor out there, Gary Oldman. As the strongman boss of a western town, he has his motorcycle minions out searching the countryside for books, hoping to get his hands on this last Bible on earth because it has the power to make people do anything, if you tell them it is in the book. Apparently, the good book is said to be to blame for the war that brought the world to this place, and that is why all the copies except Eli’s were burned after the firestorm.

Since Eli’s mission to the west coast leads him through this nameless town, he’s forced to contend with Carnegie’s army and meets up with Solana (Mila Kunis), the sweet and beautiful daughter of Carnegie’s wife (Jennifer “Flash Dance” Beals). When Carnegie’s attempts to get the book from Eli fail, Solana takes to the road with him with the evil ones in hot pursuit.

The Book of Eli is beautifully shot with the subtlety of color giving it just the right tone. Denzel is wonderful as Eli, the good guy who you’d hate to go up against in a dark alley if you’d done something wrong. There are some flashes of comedy that make him more human and the film less grim, but there is not a lot of gray area in this movie; everything is on one side or the other, and somehow it works, as long as you take the religious angle with a huge grain of salt. The ending has a twist that you don’t see coming and makes you think back over the film for the clues you missed. Less depressing than The Road and not as silly as 2012, The Book of Eli isn’t deep, but it is entertaining.