"you look like a pumpkin, bitch."

I'm very picky when it comes to romantic comedies, as they often aren't done too well. I can enjoy a cheesy, mindless one every now and then for the sake of pure entertainment, but I love it when they're done right. I was pleasantly surprised by Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher's coupling in No Strings Attached.

It was such a fun movie. It was great to see Natalie slightly out of her element, especially after the intensity of Black Swan. It's funny -- her Black Swan costar Mila Kunis has a movie with a similar premise coming out later this year (I covered it a while back). Natalie hasn't done too many comedies, and this was a little different for her, but she held her own against comedy vets like Ashton and Mindy Kaling, proving yet again why she's one of my favorite actresses.

The trailer and title pretty much sum up what the movie is about, and it is fairly predictable, but I enjoyed myself watching it. This is definitely not an insult to the movie, but I didn't have to think too much. It was light and funny, but still plausible (for the most part anyway -- especially since I tend to think like Emma, Natalie's character). Even though I thought Natalie and Ashton lacked chemistry when I first saw the trailer, they were great together. It's also a plus that he wasn't completely annoying. Nat's character says in the movie that's he's always so damn happy, and that's exactly what I often think about Ashton, though it's nearly impossible to not like the guy. Even the supporting cast was great. There were several funny one-liners that didn't seem too forced, which is easy for the sidekick friend.

I think it's a fun movie for a date night or girls night in. Obviously I'll be adding it to my collection since I love Natalie (so I may be biased), but it was still enjoyable. Overall Rating: B.

PS -- you can catch Natalie in another upcoming comedy, Your Highness!