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Arts & Entertainment

"Friends with Benefits": The Predictable Romantic Comedy of the Summer

Seen any good movies lately?

"Friends with Benefits", starring Justin Timberlake as Dylan and Mila Kunis as Jamie, is a typical rom-com with a few variations.

Jamie, a headhunter living in New York City, recruits Dylan, an L.A. native, to be the new art director at GQ magazine. She takes Dylan on a tour of New York City to convince him to take the job and shows him her favorite private rooftop, New York cuisine and an impromptu flash dance in Times Square.

After forming a close friendship and complaining about failed relationships (while watching other rom-coms no less), Dylan and Jamie decide to add sex to the mix. While the ending is predictable, the path to get there is not. Jamie joins Dylan on a Fourth of July visit to his family in L.A., and meets his sister, nephew and father, who has Alzheimer’s. The second half of the film focuses on Dylan’s relationship with his father and his deteriorating (and sometimes comedic) health.

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Woody Harrelson gives a standout performance as Tommy, Dylan’s gay coworker at GQ and relationship mentor. Patricia Clarkson gives a memorable performance as Jamie’s scatterbrained mother. Emma Stone and Andy Samberg make brief appearances as Dylan and Jamie’s significant others.

The film has been compared to Ashton Kutcher and Natalie Portman’s ‘No Strings Attached’ (see video), another romantic comedy with a similar plot. Timberlake and Kunis however have stronger comedic chemistry and simply execute the concept better.

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‘Friends with Benefits’ open Friday, July 22 and will be playing at Kingstowne at 11:40 a.m., 12:45 p.m., 2:25, 3:40, 5:15, 6:45, 8:05, 9:20 and 10:30 and Potomac Mills at 10:10 a.m., 11:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m., 1:50, 3:50, 4:50, 7:00, 7:50, 10:00 and 10:50.

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