A briefer, more efficient post – perhaps the first of many…

No Strings Attached (2011)
Dir: Ivan Reitman
Stars: Natalie Portman, Ashton Kutcher, Greta Gerwig, Lake Bell and Kevin Kline

Author’s Note: The title of this post alludes to my intention to post a bit more often with perhaps less detail and consideration for each and every title: I’ve been looking over ol’ ronhamprod.com and seeing that I do some massive, detailed posts and then don’t post for a while… so hoping for a bit more consistency here, dear readers.

That said, let’s talk BRIEFLY about No Strings Attached, and be aware, there are plenty of spoilers coming up here.  Believe me, I’m helping you out.  I’m not sure how this title ended up on my Netflix cue, but last night it went into the DVD player.  I suppose I was on a kick of, “I need to be watching more recent titles”. 

Whatever the reason, woe be to the viewer who stumbles upon this one.  The movie did have its positives: much like Drive and (500) Days of Summer, the movie made Los Angeles look absolutely beautiful.  However, it also insisted on adhering to the following rom-com formula: Girl meets Boy as a teen, they lose track of each other for several years, Girl circumstantially re-meets Boy in gorgeous downtown L.A., after Boy and Girl sleep together countless times, suddenly Girl inexplicably doesn’t want to be with Boy, Boy inexplicably takes Girl back.

And I guess that last piece is where I struggled the most with Strings: why did he take her back?  I would have given this a huge “recommend” if the end would have simply been Portman and Kutcher running into each other one more time maybe years later, each with their new lovers.  The scene would include them kind of congratulating each other with, “Hey, I wouldn’t have found my love without you, but thank goodness I didn’t stay with you!”  Why is it such a guarantee or an absolute that romantic comedies end with the two together?  Would love to hear from you on this question…

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