So Natalie Portman goes from Black Swan, a dark and chilling Oscar winning film, to No Strings Attached, a light hearted, fluffy romantic comedy, am I getting that right? I think I am and to be honest, that was my first thought when I sat down to watch this film. But, being the huge Natalie Portman fan that I am, I decided to give it a chance.
Portman looked cute in the role and it also has that funny guy from Punk’d. Yes, I’m referring to Ashton Kutcher. With these two in the lead, I figured things couldn’t be that bad. And you know what? For the most part, I was right. No Strings Attached is a light hearted, fluffy romantic comedy, but it’s also fairly enjoyable.
Our story begins with Adam (Ashton Kutcher). Adam met a girl named Emma (Natalie Portman), a long time ago. They lost touch but every so often they seem to bump into each other. During one of their random encounters, he decides to take down her number, maybe he’ll give her a call sometime.
This never happens though and he seems to forget about her. That is until one drunken night, when he accidentally drunk messages her. The next morning he wakes up on her couch, unsure of what happened or how he got there. When he goes into her room to ask her what’s going on, she explains the situation and the two quickly find themselves in bed and between the sheets.
Confused as to where to go next, Emma suggests that they just keep it simple. No relationship, just casual sex, no strings attached. Adam agrees because, well, who would turn that down? As the two try to keep it simple and hold back on anything serious, Adam starts to realize that he’s developing feelings for Emma. Complications arise and the two struggle to figure out if any relationship can ever be just about the sex.
Click here to read the rest of our No Strings Attached theatrical review.
Paramount delivers a strong Blu-Ray transfer here that is generally pleasing on both the eyes and ears. The Blu-Ray offers up a striking image that is both clear and sharp in every regard. Vibrant colours and strong black levels combined with a clean print makes for an almost perfect image and the few soft shots don’t really do much harm to this terrific transfer. In terms of audio, the limited material is handled excellently. Music is fitting and energetic while dialogue remains at the centre, always clear and audible.
Special features include the following:
- Audio Commentary: Director Ivan Reitman
- Sex Friends: Getting Together
- Inside the Sassy Halls of Secret High
- Modern Love: The Dos and Don’ts
- Deleted Scenes
- Alternate Storyline Scenes
- Digital Copy
- DVD Copy.
Reitman’s commentary is rather lame. I’m not sure why they didn’t throw Kutcher and Portman on there to liven it up. As it stands, it’s a bit boring and not that insightful. He doesn’t say a whole lot and when he does comment, it’s not always interesting. Sex Friends: Getting Together acts as the making of. It’s pretty standard stuff, consisting mainly of cast interviews and behind the scenes footage and carrying a very promotional feel to it. Inside The Sassy Halls Of Secret High talks about the dance scenes that they filmed those and the last feature, Modern Love: The Dos and Dont’s has the cast talking about love and dating. Once again more of a promotional piece than anything else.
Overall, I was pretty happy with this package. The film was pretty enjoyable, especially for a romantic comedy. It’s not on the level of (500) Days Of Summer, but it’s certainley above average. Backed by a nice transfer, I’m happy with the Blu-Ray and it’ll make a nice addition to my collection. Pull it out on a date, or when you need a nice light hearted comedy. No Strings Attached is enjoyable for both genders and well worth a watch.
