No Strings Attached (2011)
Average Rating: 5.2/10
Reviews Counted: 162
Fresh: 79 | Rotten: 83
It benefits from the presence of Natalie Portman and director Ivan Reitman's steady hand, but No Strings Attached doesn't have the courage or conviction to follow through on its ribald premise.
Average Rating: 5.4/10
Critic Reviews: 39
Fresh: 20 | Rotten: 19
It benefits from the presence of Natalie Portman and director Ivan Reitman's steady hand, but No Strings Attached doesn't have the courage or conviction to follow through on its ribald premise.
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Average Rating: 3.4/5
User Ratings: 81,919
Movie Info
In this comedy, Emma (Natalie Portman) and Adam (Ashton Kutcher) are life-long friends who almost ruin everything by having sex one morning. In order to protect their friendship, they make a pact to keep their relationship strictly "no strings attached." "No strings" means no jealousy, no expectations, no fighting, no flowers, no baby voices. It means they can do whatever they want, whenever they want, in whatever public place they want, as long as they don't fall in love. The questions become -
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Cast
-
Natalie Portman
Emma -
Ashton Kutcher
Adam -
Kevin Kline
Alvin -
Greta Gerwig
Patrice -
Cary Elwes
Dr. Metzner -
Lake Bell
Lucy -
Olivia Thirlby
Katie -
Chris "Ludacris" Bridges
Wallace -
Jake M. Johnson
Eli -
Matthew Moy
Chuck -
Mindy Kaling
Shira -
Talia Balsam
Sandra Kurtzman -
Ophelia Lovibond
Vanessa -
Guy Branum
Guy -
Ben Lawson
Sam -
Jennifer Irwin
Megan -
Adhir Kalyan
Kevin -
Brian Dierker
Bones -
Abby Elliott
Joy -
Vedette Lim
Lisa -
Gary David Goldberg
Emma's Relative -
Armen Weitzman
Taxi Driver -
T. Shaun Russell
LACMA Guard -
Nealla Gordon
Lydia (Female Doctor), ... -
Seth Morris
Man with Dog -
Nasim Pedrad
Writer -
Elizabeth Meriwether
Writer -
Mollee Gray
Sari -
Derek Ferguson
Benji -
Tyne Stecklein
Victoria -
Kym Connor
Stage Mom -
Renna Bartlett
Stage Assistant Directo... -
Jennifer L. Hamilton
On Camera Choreographer -
Krystal Ellsworth
Secret High Dancer -
Megan Honore
Secret High Dancer -
Moira "Anjolie" Marfori
Secret High Dancer -
Casey KC Monnie
Secret High Dancer -
Nicholas Lanzisera
Secret High Dancer -
Dalphe Morantus
Secret High Dancer -
William T. Loftus
Secret High Dancer -
Jason Williams
Secret High Dancer -
Heather Phillips
Secret High Dancer -
Britt Stewart
Secret High Dancer -
Katrina Katie Norman
Secret High Dancer -
Kim Lofko Germar
Secret High Dancer -
Hugo Chakrabongse
Bar Group -
Paula Van Oppen
Secret High Dancer -
John Gerald Barclay
Bar Group -
Tom Tangen
Eli's Dad -
Tim Matheson
Eli's Dad -
Ben Lautman
Rabbi, Rabbi51 -
Joshua Allen Andreacola
Boy at Wake -
Milton Greenberg
Boy at Wake -
Rachel McDermott
STK Waitress -
Robert Trapp
Mini-Golfer -
Rachael Markarian
Frat Party Dancer -
Kherington Payne
Frat Party Dancer -
Dylan Hayes
Young Adam -
Stefanie Scott
Young Emma -
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No Strings Attached Trailer & Photos
All Critics (162) | Top Critics (39) | Fresh (79) | Rotten (83) | DVD (1)
Portman can look smug in light-touch comedy, but her chemistry with Kutcher is believable (though to be fair, Kutcher is the golden retriever of male leads: blandly irresistable).
Top CriticAt least Portman is playing someone who is recognizably human, unlike her dancer in Black Swan.
The charismatic leads keep this watchable, but it's a waste of their talents.
No Strings Attached is so palpably calculated that you know if the camera had pulled back a foot from the bed in which Portman and Kutcher were pretending to have sex, you'd have seen their agents standing by beaming: proud parents, proud pimps.
One of the better romantic comedies in the last couple of years.
A lot of sharp lines from screenwriter Elizabeth Meriwether and a strong supporting cast are often enough to make that premise pleasant if not exactly shocking.
Benefits the most from a sexy, emotionally available/vulnerable turn by Natalie Portman. But the Kutcher guy isn't bad either.
Acting opposite Ashton Kutcher is the equivalent of dropping down a year in school for someone like Natalie Portman.
Portman is a true comedienne on screen. Hopefully she'll add a few more performances like this one to her resume' in the near future.
This being a Hollywood romantic comedy, the outcome of the story-about a man and woman who agree to a sex-only relationship-is obvious from the get-go, so this film is all about the journey, not the destination...
A romantic comedy that looks smutty but is actually slushy.
Portman's fine, Kucher, not so much; No Strings Attached falters
While the ultimate conclusion is still the same as always, and Ashton Kutcher's flat delivery nearly ruins it, No Strings Attached is a thoughtful twist on the usual romantic-comedy.
If you like looking at Natalie Portman, you may take a fancy to the movie. Otherwise, you might find it a bore.
All Adam and Emma are doing is pretending to not be emotionally vulnerable and living out our fantasies without suffering any of the consequences. I call BS.
Calculated mix of raunch and adorability
The problem is that we know the 'friends with benefits' deal always leaves someone hurt; the joy would be in seeing how all this lust could believably turn into love.
And although execution counts for a lot, there's no amount of skill on Earth that can help this turkey. The script is just too awful. Rent it one day if you're in the mood to find out exactly how not to write a sex comedy.
Quite the rarity for Hollywood romantic comedies, No Strings Attached is loaded with funny ideas. Portman creates a complex leading lady. It's a funny, sharp and wonderfully dirty
The script has an annoying tendency to alternate between snappy one liners and tedious sex based ROLFs.
[A] dislikable, distasteful, indifferently acted romantic comedy...
The picture is not completely unengaging, however, thanks to two likeable lead performances from Ashton Kutcher and Natalie Portman.
Often just cringe-worthy.
As Portman preps to take the Oscar this weekend for Black Swan, there are people still questioning if she can really act at all.
A Revolutionary Road-style sequel exploring the couple's woes five years down the line might be interesting and give Portman a chance to shine. Perhaps they could hire an actor for Kutcher's part.
Quantum string theory, it ain't. But it's passable enough if you just fancy gawping at some glossy leads for a bit.
Audience Reviews for No Strings Attached
Super Reviewer
I think the only things I liked about this film were the few charming moments and unique courtship ideas. Adam makes Emma a period mix featuring songs like "Bleeding Love." Instead of flowers he gives her carrots. It's cute. But that's the extent of what's good about this film. The characters are plastic, and there's nothing interesting about the story. With a long exposition and supporting characters with nothing unique about their support, the film is poorly structured: the first time Adam and Emma have sex is clearly ridden with emotion, and Natalie Portman's version of an emotionally unavailable woman is more emotionally available than many women I could consider soul mates.
Overall, this movie sucks, but I am considering making my next love interest a period mix, only I'd include The Hush Sound's "Wine Red."
Super Reviewer
-
- Emma: You give me premature ventricular contractions.
- Adam: I'm assuming that's a good thing?
- Emma: You make my heart skip a beat.
-
- Eli: I can't focus on my porn with all this real sex going on around me!
-
- Shira: We're sluts, Emma! We're dirty dirty sluts!
-
- Adam: What are you gonna do? You're just...you're never gonna feel anything? How are you gonna do that?
- Emma: I don't know. I'll figure it out.
- Adam: You're so messed up.
- Emma: Yeah? I don't need you to take care of me, I take care of myself. That's what I do.
-
- Emma: But, there is really no reason for you to bring a child into this world since you're acting like children already.
-
- Alvin: We don't pick who we fall in love with, and it never happens the way it's supposed to.
Discussion Forum
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January 24, 2011:
Box Office Guru Wrapup: No Strings Attached Wins WeekendThis weekend, Hollywood's current princess Natalie Portman reigned supreme over the North American...
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Movie: ID: 771225438 Title: No Strings Attached Release Date: 2011-01-21 00:00:00.0 MPAA: 4 Status: 1
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Foreign Titles
- Freundschaft Plus (DE)
- Sex Friends (FR)
