Category: good grief sign in

The blurb on the front cover reads “smart and sexy”, and, sure, I’ll buy that. Elizabeth Meriwether’s screenplay dishes out a bunch of clever tweaks to the standard issue romantic comedy formula, and she doesn’t really go for easy, lazy laughs. It’s definitely an appreciated change of pace to see humor more heavily oriented around dialogue and characterization rather than the usual pratfalls and bug-eyed spit takes. The downside is that it’s one of those movies where I’ll crack a grin or think “oh, that’s pretty good”, but never really laugh. I really like the approach to the comedy here, but I wish some of it had connected a little more sharply. I’m not anywhere near as over the moon about No Strings Attached the way I was with (500) Days of Summer — my single favorite movie of 2009, for anyone keeping track at home — but other than that, I can’t think of the last time I watched an out-and-out romantic comedy I liked anywhere near as much as this. I’m sure a lot of you out there were cringing at the trailers the same as I was, but don’t let that throw you off. I was pleasantly surprised by No Strings Attached, and. Continue reading “Doesn’t help that Ludacris is a big chunk of the comic relief and is one swing-and-a-miss after another”