No Strings Attached

Two casual friends (Natalie Portman, Ashton Kutcher) agree to be sex buddies, having a good ride whenever they feel like it with no promises or demands. Elizabeth Meriwether and Mike Samonek’s script is an anemic rehash of When Harry Met Sally … without the insight, clever dialogue or interesting supporting characters (only Kevin Kline as Kutcher’s father and Lake Bell as a nervously adoring co-worker manage to amuse). The two stars conscientiously do their best: Kutcher deploys his standard likable-guy shtick, while Portman, encumbered by her usually humorless screen persona, seems grimly determined to be a light romantic comedian. Director Ivan Reitman hovers over the production like a paramedic with defibrilator paddles, desperate to jump-start the movie’s heart before the readout goes completely flat.