I don't remember what I liked about the first "friends with benefits" movie and why I gave it a decent review. Was it the acting? The actors? The story? The script? It seems it must've been a combination of all these as I made note of the story and the actors in my review. I guess for a "friends with benefits" movie we have to come to like the story and the actors in order to like the movie.
Friends With Benefits stars Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis. I've come to enjoy Timberlake as an actor. He's thoroughly agreeable in everything I've seen him in from The Social Network to ugh, Bad Teacher. Mila Kunis is Mila Kunis all growns up, easy on the eyes. Adequate for the role she plays.
The two are brought together after they have been dumped by their exes because she headhunts for an executive placement agency and she brings him to New York. It'll remind you of the classic line in When Harry Met Sally -- "That's too bad. You were the only person I knew in New York." In fact, the movie goes out of its way to disproving the adage from the same movie that men and women can't be friends because of the sex. For the two, the sex doesn't get in the way, it's the friendship.
Right from the meet cute you feel the chemistry between both characters. Flirting even though one is basically employed by the other. They quickly become friends and do things as friends because his only friend in New York is she. Then they show how compatible they are and comfortable with each other. Then comes the benefits naturally arising from being together often.
He likes her. She likes him. They're friends why not? The friendship will get in the way, but our protagonists triumph as you know they would in a good little romantic comedy.
As I left the theatre, I kept wondering which I "friends with benefits" movie I liked more. To be honest, I can't decide. Perhaps a back-to-back screening would suffice, but I think that would be too much. I already like them both.
3 of 5 stars.