Friends With Benefits / Cedar Rapids

Friends With Benefits - Yes, Friends With Benefits is pretty much the same movie as No Strings Attached that was released earlier this year. And while, No Strings Attached had a better lead actress (Natalie Portman), somehow Friends With Benefits manages to be a better movie. Is it because of director Will Gluck, who also managed to strike gold with last years infinitely better Easy A? Is it because of the killer supporting cast that bring their A-game (Goddess of the world Patricia Clarkson, Woody Harrelson, Richard Jenkins, my girl crush Emma Stone)? Who knows, but Friends With Benefits wins the war over better comedy about besties who have sex and ultimately fall in love. In this version, Mila Kunis stars as Jamie, an executive who sets out to lure Justin Timberlake's Dylan away from his blog with indie cred and into a high profile job at GQ. In the process, they become best friends and since both of them recently had their hearts broken (by Andy Samberg and a HILARIOUS Stone, respectively) they eventually decide they should have sex without feelings. It works for a while. Then Jamie breaks things off so she can date for real. She falls for Bryan Greenburg's cancer doctor but ends up heartbroken again. After a trip to L.A. to visit Dylan's family, Jamie begins to develop those deadly things called feelings. Dylan is scared, of course, because he's a man and there needs to be a third act hurdle for these two crazy kids to climb over. Needless to say, I'm sure you know how it ends. And if you said, "Giant ass flash mob at Grand Central Station," then you are right! Listen, I'm not trying to sell Friends With Benefits as the greatest movie of all time, or anything. It's not even the greatest movie I've seen this month. But it is cute and fun and funny. It's refreshing to watch a cliched romantic comedy that doesn't take itself seriously and pokes fun at itself. Kunis is endearing and charming. Timberlake is fine, although he's been so much better (Alpha Dog). Then, of course, there is that crazy good supporting cast I spoke of earlier. Clarkson and Stone steal every single goddamn scene they are in. This movie isn't without its problems, that's for sure. It's too long. It spends way too much time being boring at the beginning. And I'm not even talking about the terrible Shaun White cameo. But all in all, Friends With Benefits is a cute, sweet, little movie.
Grade: C+

Cedar Rapids - Then there is Cedar Rapids. I was actually looking forward to watching this movie since it got so much buzz at the beginning of the year. Now, all I can say is, what for?? There is nothing original about this movie. In fact, it's not even funny. I don't even think I laughed once. And this is coming from someone who loves Ed Helms so much more than she should. This dull comedy follows Tim Lippe (Helms) as he travels from his small town to the big city of Cedar Rapids to attend an insurance salesman convention. There he gets a little out of control with his roommates Deanzy (John C. Reilly, trying too hard to be a buffoon) and Ron (Isiah Whitlock Jr.). He also gets romantically involved with a married woman (Anne Heche) and a young hooker (Alia Shawkat, one of the few bright spots in this film) even though he's sleeping with his 6th grade teacher back at home (Sigourney Weaver, another of the aforementioned bright spots). All in all, Cedar Rapids is a big waste of time. It's not as bad as some of the other movies I've seen this year but it was definitely not anything special. If you are into this new trend about high strung men losing their shit and doing stupid stuff while in a strange and different land, then maybe you'll like this. But I'm over that trend.
Grade: D+