While growing up I just happened to be one of those guys with the propensity to make best friends out of the girls I met. Now don’t get me wrong, many of those friendships were highly prized but when it got to the point that I was treat like one of the girls I did occasionally wonder what it would be like to have a different type of relationship, one more conducive to what a young man wants. When a film like ‘Friends with Benefits’ comes along the natural question that comes to mind is ‘where was this concept when I was young and single?’ This movie is a revival of a form of moviemaking that achieved its zenith in the late sixties through to the early seventies; the sex farce. The elements of the genre include casting a popular, attractive leading man opposite an American Sweetheart Actress. Back then the combination utilized quite often was Rock Hudson and Doris Day. The story lines typically remained just on the safe side of acceptable relationships. This meant the sexual themes are present in just the right amount to give the general appearance of shocking while remaining safely within the currently acceptable ethical guideline of the movie industry. As the moral limitations loosed and films were able to be more explicit the sex farce declined overshadowed by the raunchier and generally more juvenile ‘R’ rated comedy. Replacing the smartly written repartee and double entendres that made the farces so much fun to watch are overt use of gratuitous nudity, drugs and binge drinking. ‘Friends with Benefits’ is a return to the old ways. This is not to infer in any way that this movie is outdated, it is not. It represents a truly modern take on the genre. The movie expertly infuses the best of the farce’s methodology with a topical use of the youthfully embraced redefinition of friendship and sexual encounters. While the theme of sex without emotional attachment is not new it has become more prevalent among the teens and twenty somethings. It might spark some outward criticism and internal envy with the older set but the movie was constructed with sufficient expertise to ensure it will be enjoyable to all. That is all old enough to watch; this is not a film for the underage or of delicate sensibilities.

Updating the traditional Day/Hudson combination is the pairing of today’s collaboration of two very talented, attractive and talented young entertainers; Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake. True to the generalized, traditional formula the pair is successful and upwardly mobile. Kunis plays Jamie who works for a recruitment agency as an executive recruiter. In other words Jamie is an upscale headhunter. Her current target is Timberland’s character Dylan. He currently is employed by an internet based company as their art director but Jamie wants to get him for a job in New York City for GQ magazine. He takes a trip from Los Angles for the interview and accepts the position albeit initially with some reservations. As part of selling the position Jamie takes Dylan for a night on the town and after he takes the job they becomes friends. The natural question of what would induce attractive, vital people to such an arrangement is clarified at this point. Jamie is too wrapped up in her career to consider a relationship with commitment. Dylan, being new in town, doesn’t really know anyone in NYC but Jamie. Filled with youthful needs they both want sex as a regular part of their lives but devoid of those messy commitment issues. Soon after the arrangement starts Jamie comes to the conclusion that she requires an emotional component for fulfillment. It might have been more interesting if the roles were reversed and the man was the emotionally invested one and the woman was the pragmatic one.

In any case Jamie meets Parker (Bryan Greenberg and begin seeing each other, employing another modern relationship trope they have sex after their fifth date. Unfortunately Parker was looking for a one bight stand. Dylan offers her a change of scenery by taking her to Los Angles to visit his sister Annie (Jenna Elfman) and father (Richard Jenkins) over the Fourth of July weekend. In a predictable second act turn of events Jamie and Dylan develop genuine feelings towards each other culminating in a passionate kiss. In next morning Jamie overhears Dylan and Annie where he denies having any desire to pursue an emotionally based relationship. He wants to leave GQ which would adversely affect Jamie’s commission. Of course this is really the requisite second act problems that have to be resolved to ensure a third act happy ending.

If the format of this film sounds exactly the same as the standard romantic comedy it is. The sex farce is a specialized sub set of the rom-com, one with more emphasis on the sexualized situation. The director of this film, Will Gluck, has some experience with the revitalization of the farce; ‘Easy A’ with feature Emma Stone, the obligatory friend in this movie. The writing team of Keith Merryman and David A. Newman may be relatively new to screenwriting but they certainly have captured the necessary smart twists that embody the traditional farce. This factor on its own is responsible for elevating the film above the lamentable excuse for comedy common in today’s Cineplex. Even the best scripts can fall apart in the execution if not properly presented but this is fortunately not the case here. Gluck’s style contains the exactly correct amount of naughty wink moments to carry the feeling required by the films. This helped to carry the fundamental aspect of the format; the farce is built on circumstances that generally are considered rather improbable. This element, while part of the requirement, also makes it exceptionally difficult to master but the director and writers have gone a long way to a successful implementation. All of this only lays the foundation; the true test of the success is dependent on the on screen chemistry manifested by the leads. Timberlake began as a singer initially in the ‘Mickey Mouse Club’ later in a popular boy band. He obviously has great management and the wisdom to follow their advice since JT did not dive into film demanding to be the lead. He built his film career carefully gaining experience in smaller roles. His natural sense of comedy was hone in several movies as well as frequent appearances on Saturday Night Live. Kunis was underage when she rose to popularity on TV’s ‘That 70’s Show’, Kunis also took on lesser parts culminating in a brilliant dramatic performance in ‘The Black Swan’. The pair apparently are friends in the real world since their on screen chemistry comes across as entirely natural without the slightest hint of contrivance.

The bottom line here is this is a wickedly delightful movie that is amazingly easy to get into and enjoy.