Review: No Strings Attached

No Strings Attached is a 2011 romantic comedy directed by Ivan Reitman. It’s warm and clever and has a fabulous cast of folks who were on the cusp of famous back then, as well as the already famous Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher.

There are several romances in this romcom – the main one involves TV writer Adam (Ashton Kutcher) and doctor Emma (Natalie Portman). They originally met 15 years ago at summer camp. They bump into each other every few years.

The latest time they meet, they end up in bed. That’s because Adam discovered that his dad (Kevin Kline) is shagging his ex girl friend Vanessa (Ophelia Lovibond) and he gets rollicking drunk before he ends up at Emma’s.

They decide to be friends with benefits. No strings attached, because Emma can’t deal with relationships. The begin a romance that isn’t a romance and a relationship that isn’t a relationship. Those are the rules.

Rules. Yeah.

Emma’s roommates include Shira (Mindy Kaling), Patrice (Greta Gerwig), and Guy (Guy Branum). They’re all doctors.

Adam lives with his buddy Eli (Jake Johnson) and hangs around with his friend Wallace (Ludacris).

The remainder of the main cast include Emma’s sister Katie (Olivia Thirlby), Lucy (Lake Bell), who works with Adam, and a doctor who works with Emma named Sam (Ben Lawson).

A number of interesting things happen in this non-relationship before the lovers break up and then make up. The subplots involving Adam’s father and Emma’s sister are interesting. I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that Mindy Kaling wrote her own jokes; she was quite funny.

Everyone in this film is unnecessarily good – better than anyone in a romcom needs to be. Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher were both wonderful and terrific together. No Strings Attached is one of the better examples of its genre that I’ve seen.

I think I watched it on Prime Video, but it’s available on several other streamers as well.

Pin This Poster!

Watch the Trailer for No Strings Attached

Have you seen this film? Did you enjoy it?