Adam (Ashton Kutcher, tall and goofy) and Emma (Natalie Portman, tiny and smart) become âsex friendsâ (so contemporary!), because Emma hates relationships. She has an âemotional peanut allergy,â okay? Even though Adam brings her a âCongrats!â balloon for sleeping with him (âYou did a good job, so I thought you deserved a balloonâ), Emma refuses to date him. So they just have lots of sex and agree to some rules to keep from getting attached (no listing each other as emergency contact, no eating breakfast together). He brings her a mix CD when sheâs on her period, she crushes him at mini-golf, and their friends all look on knowingly, waiting for them to realize that theyâre meant to be together.
Look, if youâre wondering whether youâll see Ashton Kutcherâs and Natalie Portmanâs butts in this movie, you will. If youâre wondering what a mainstream romantic comedy would look like if it were just a little bit betterâfunnier script, fantastic supporting cast, someone like Portman playing the female leadâyouâll find out. But because the dialogue is refreshingly nonsucky, the supporting cast is unbelievably awesome (seriously: Greta Gerwig, Mindy Kaling, Kevin Kline, Cary Elwes), and the leads act like theyâre having fun instead of just picking up a check, the storyâs adherence to the slow, stupid death march of rom-com (ew) plot requirements is incredibly frustrating. They like each other, they have wacky sidekicks, now they love each other, some emotions are conveyed through staring/blinking, they have to break up three-quarters of the way through, now thereâs a hospital scene, now a wedding, aaaaaand credits. Ugh. Barf.
Whatever. Compared to real movies, itâs dumb. But compared to other shitty date movies, itâs fine. It turns out that watching Portman cry-sing Leona Lewisâs âBleeding Loveâ with cocaine-looking doughnut dust all over her face is remarkably enjoyable. So is hearing Kaling say, âI just pulled a penis out of a Vitamin Water yesterday.â Adamâs self-centered father bringing him a birthday cake featuring the Creation of Adam from the Sistine Chapel is a great visual joke (his name is Adam, and his dad thinks heâs God). Just donât be surprised when they start saying stuff like âWe didnât break up. We never started.â At least you saw their butts, right?