No Strings Attached Movie Review ..

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, and 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, Can you have sex without love getting in the way? And can their friendship survive the constant test they are putting it through.

No Strings Attached is a film that has a lot of baggage when it came to the big screen. Its two lead actors couldn’t be further apart as far as acting ability goes: Natalie Portman fresh off her Oscar win for Black Swan and Ashton Kutcher who has yet to prove anything outside of That 70’s Show. The film’s director, Ivan Reitman, on the other hand is a solid director, however perhaps far too unknown, who has directed such films as Ghostbusters (1984), Stripes (1981), Dave (1993), I love You Man (2009), and many more great films over the past thirty years.

But on top of all that, the film is also a romantic comedy, a genre that has produced perhaps some of the worst flops in Hollywood cinema because they are a dime a dozen. With knowing all of this, I found myself being hopelessly cautious when going to check this film out because it has enough elements, at least on paper, that it could be a great flick, but it could just as easily be the exact opposite. In the end, what we get out of No Strings Attached is actually a pretty decent movie, and probably the first Ashton Kutcher film that will make you leave the theater with a smile on your face.

What’s great to see in romantic comedies is great chemistry between it’s, more often than now, beautiful lead characters. With the acting ability of Natalie Portman, her acting skills often come across as smug in romantic comedies, but in No Strings Attached, she creates a sharp leading lady that is perhaps a bit too neurotic for such a light romantic comedy. On the other hand, Ashton Kutcher seems to be in his element in the film and makes for a relaxed romantic comedy in a way that seem like the acting is effortless even though it is not.

When paired together, there is fantastic chemistry that makes their relationship appear more realistic seeing how both of their characters come from different walks of life: Natalie Portman’s character is a hard-working medical intern while Ashton Kutcher is an aspiring TV scriptwriter. There’s also a delightful array of supporting characters, including the wonderful Kevin Kline as Kutcher’s reprobate father (former sitcom star still cashing in on his trademark catchphrase), Greta Gerwig (Greenberg, The House of the Devil ) as Portman’s skeptical work colleague, plus Jake Johnson and Chris “Ludacris” Bridges magnificently playing Kutcher’s bantering best mates.

No Strings Attaches is one film that I never thought I would ever go see in my lifetime, but I am quite happy that I did. When I think of romantic comedies, I think of the same old story line being told ad nauseam with a different array of mediocre funny characters in different locations, but No Strings Attached is different. This is a film that is funny, sharp, and quite witty, but it also offers a nice array of dynamic characters that live and grow as the film progresses.

This may be partly due to the acting talents of Natalie Portman, but it seems like even Ashton Kutcher stepped up his game a little bit to meet Portman half way. But it also helps a lot to have a talented director working off of a great script, written by Elizabeth Meriwether, to aid in making a better than average romantic comedy about something that is always on our minds: Sex. For some of you keeners out there, you may find some resemblances to the classic romantic comedy When Harry met Sally (1989), which was perhaps one of the best films of the genre, because it shares a lot of the same themes that No Strings Attached has running through it.

While I may have snubbed this film prior to watching it, something I like to do for some reason, I can’t help but to recommend it because it is a pretty great romantic comedy considering some of the carp that has been regurgitated by Hollywood over the past twenty years.

No Strings Attached Movie Trailer

Saw 3D Movie Review …

The film focuses on a man who claims to be a Jigsaw survivor and writes a book detailing his experience, becoming a local celebrity. He soon finds himself part of a real Jigsaw game where he must ultimately save his wife. Meanwhile, Jill Tuck (Betsey Russell) explains to an internal affairs officer that rogue Detective Hoffman (Costas Mandylor) is the man responsible for the recent Jigsaw games, and following these accusations,Tuck is put under police protected custody while officers search for Hoffman. But before anyone realizes it, a deadly battle erupts over Jigsaw’s brutal legacy. All at a time when a group of Jigsaw survivors gathers to seek the support of self-help guru and fellow survivor Bobby Dagen, a man whose own dark secrets unleash a new wave of terror.

Wow, I really can’t believe that it has been seven long years since the original Saw film was released. For those not familiar with this franchise, it is perhaps the epitome of modern exploitation films, a genre that became famous in the early to mid 1970’s. These films are shot in a few days, have almost no production costs, cast unnamed actors, and are exceedingly sexual, violent, and gore filled. We need to only look back to the 2007 Rodriguez/Tarantino film Grindhouse for the best example of an exploitation film. Saw 3D, like the other 6 Saw films, offers all the gritty disgusting details of exploitation films plus it is shot in 3D. I have to hand it for the producers of this film, not because it is remotely good, but because they have finally put 3d technology where it should be. In a movie that is terrible and relies on cheap thrills and disgusting scenes to draw in an audience, 3D is nothing more than a gimmick, and a gimmick is exactly what the Saw franchise needed to survive yet another year.

Saw 3D utilizes the usual porn-esque style with lashings of blood, dismemberment, and the ever-disturbing genre-standard spectacle of attractive woman being butchered in horrendous ways. Saw 3D is fast paced and in your face the entire film that is full of “ewwww!’ moments that play up to the film’s effectively cheesy use of 3D. Most notably stomach wrenching is the sequence where a woman is literally torn into four pieces. Another mind-searing moment features a victim literally having their face torn open by the device featured in the first film. It’s actually a touching homage to the first, and probably only decent film, in the franchise, and one that is sure to bring a wistful tear to fans of the franchise. For thos eof you out there looking for one of the goriest and most violent film of the decade, this is it, but for the other 98% of the world this is probably one of the worst movies of the decade.

Although Saw 3D is not the worst movie of the series, for that honor see Saw 5, but the problem is that Saw has cashed in on the exact same formula seven years in a row without ever changing its style setting, or plot. It’s actually almost insulting to think that these film makers have regurgitated the same material over and over again just to make a few extra bucks every Halloween. Even the eye popping, yes I intended the pun, 3D doesn’t make the film any better than what it would have been otherwise, and like the entire franchise, it too is nothing more than a rouse to get a few extra dollars out of your 2 dimensional pocket.

Like all the other Saw films, the acting is non-existent, the plot is as deep as a bowl of cheerios, and the setting is dark and dreary except for an interesting shot during the day, which was quickly forgotten about. But having said all of that, at least this film gives you an interesting look at a phony Jigsaw survivor named Bobby, played by Patrick Flanery, who uses his fake account of the “game” to make a little bit of money. Unfortunate for some, and quite fortunate for almost everyone else, with a sliding loss of box office income from the most recent Saw films, Saw 3D is officially the final film in the series, unless the producers run out of money by next Halloween. But let me end by saying this, this is a movie that should be completely avoided by all of humanity, but if you have enjoyed the other 7 films, you will enjoy Saw 3D because it is just as gory and violent as those that came before it.

Saw 3D Movie Trailer

Overall the plot is pretty simple to follow, especially if we’ve done our reading / movie watching. Evil Price John (Richard Lewis) oppresses the people helped in his ill-doings by Sheriff of Nottingham (Roger Rees). Maid Marian (Amy Yasbeck) runs in the woods to let Robin know about it all, while being guarded by her nanny and also a well locked chastity belt.

Robin itself is cute and funny (Cary Elwes), together with Rabbi Tuckman (Mel Brooks), the priest who really loves a good wine.

We’ve got a lot of comic situations, battles, archery contests, witty dialogues. The entire movie is so silly, it’s gotta be funny. Of course it won’t enlighten you or grow your spirituality, but it’s surely a great way to spend some time forgetting about the daily problems. Even after seeing it for 3-4 times and knowing every scene, this movie still makes me laugh.