No Strings Attached

A disappointment. I was looking forward to it quite a lot: an interesting plot, Natalie, a nice poster… But damn, I could write much better stuff if they gave me the money for it. A lot of the jokes are over the top, a couple of them are alright and a few are very good, but that’s simply not enough. At least the ending was what as I was hoping for. (27/04/2011)

Before you go see this movie, forget that Portman was in any Black Swan movies. :-) The combination of Natalie and Ashton is pretty awesome. But this time I was missing Kutcher's cuteness, which everyone criticizes so much and considers unprofessional. However, there were some really funny scenes here. I won't forget Natalie's pumpkin! I was also pleasantly surprised by the cast of supporting roles. One big, successful cliché. (20/04/2011)

Only a few scenes in the film made me laugh. What I got instead was a huge pile of various clichés. This romantic comedy was built up in the same predictable way that action movies were made in the early 90s (a good guy with excellent martial arts skills beats almost everyone, only to suffer immensely in the final showdown and win gloriously in the end). It was clear from the start who would end up with whom. Everybody was pretending nothing was going to happen for a while, then it seemed like everything would work out, but then came the unexpected twist to set the stage for a touching ending. The biggest problem for me was that nothing actually interesting happened, so I was pretty bored. (02/03/2018)

In the end, it was a very enjoyable romantic comedy where the relationship started like nowhere else (at least that I've seen). Natalie was excellent as always, Ashton was a good guy (and he got away with it). Together they made a nice couple, where a lot of interesting and original ideas were presented (carrots, the Period Playlist). I enjoyed it, I had fun (above all, I was entertained). I left satisfied. I even think I would be happy to watch it again... (14/03/2011)

Ivan Reitman missed the mark here. Like, very badly. The director of Ghostbusters and such television classics as Twins, Kindergarten Cop, and Junior doesn’t know what to do anymore and is filming one silly movie after another, each one worse than the last. I’m quite glad that his son, Jason, has taken over the reins, having truly shined with films like Juno and Up in the Air. He easily surpasses his father and is making more interesting pieces. No Strings Attached is nothing but a romantic comedy of the most ordinary kind. It has the exact same plot as Friends with Benefits, but it is by no means as funny or as touching. And I didn’t think much of Friends with Benefits either. I know, I shouldn’t disparage the native son from Czechoslovakia (Ivan Reitman was born in Komárno), but I just can’t help it. His family-friendly films are no longer family-friendly, and instead, they just copy others and do so in an uninteresting way. This film will fade from your memory. I had the feeling that I had seen it before. I hadn’t, but it’s no wonder. Seeing Ashton Kutcher in a romantic comedy is like seeing all his performances. Natalie Portman does not disappoint; she is charming, beautiful, and can be both passionate and romantic, but why bother for a film that brings so very little. Nothing new... just nothing. Just another romantic comedy hoping to attract audiences with the director’s name and the fact that people love stories about love because some still believe they will encounter that truly “real” love, and that they will be able to get rid of that jerk and live their happy lives. But the truth is that not everyone is a film hero or heroine. (05/03/2013)