No Strings Attached (2011)

No dates, no feelings, no future: that’s the deal in No Strings Attached, and it holds up about as well as a paper umbrella. Natalie Portman plays Emma, a young doctor on endless hospital shifts who wants nothing to do with romance, and Ashton Kutcher plays Adam, a TV production assistant who obviously wants more than she does. Portman is sharp and game, but she’s playing a rom-com type instead of a person. Kutcher has charm and very little else. The fun is all around the edges. Kevin Kline is a riot as Adam’s dad, a vain old TV star now going out with his son’s ex, and Lake Bell’s awkward coworker Lucy is funnier than either lead. Greta Gerwig gets too little to do. It made $149.2 million worldwide on a reported $25M, and it holds a 47% on Rotten Tomatoes. A 3.9 because the side characters have more spark than the couple. $2,807 says you pause it halfway, list every remaining plot point on the back of a receipt, and get all of them right.

What works: Kevin Kline’s vain, oblivious dad and Lake Bell’s oddball coworker give the movie its only real laughs.

What doesn’t: The leads have little spark, and the plot follows the rom-com formula so closely you can call every beat.

Who it’s for: Grown-ups who want a background rom-com and don’t mind guessing the ending in the first ten minutes.