Hotshot media art director Dylan has had it pretty good. He's been able to excel at his craft in an uncertain journalistic world. And now he's gotten a call to fly from L.A. to New York to interview for a big job at GQ magazine. But, honestly, he's having second thoughts.

This could be something of a dream gig for him, he knows. And he just went through an ugly breakup with his girlfriend, so there's not much tying him to the West Coast. In fact, flying away and leaving any mention of a "relationship" behind sounds kind of appealing. Still, signing a contract and moving to New York is a pretty big commitment.

And Dylan's not so big on commitment.

His attractive Manhattan-based corporate headhunter, Jamie, however, can be pretty persuasive. And not only does she convince him to take the job, she and Dylan become fast friends.

Of course, they say men and women can't really be friends. But Jamie just went through her own relationship train wreck, and she's not in the market for a new love interest either. So it's settled: They'll just have fun and be good pals.

Right. And Hollywood's got a bagful of good morals to sell you in this movie, too.

It's not like they feel that way about each other. But they do get along. So why not try a little physical interplay along with all the hanging out? No messy emotional ties required. It'll just be like a … good game of tennis. Fun and invigorating. Only this version of the game never requires you to use the word love.

:: Review
When I was a kid, my mother used to say that raunchy language was proof of a weak mind. Meaning, of course, that only those who can't use the brain God gave them will resort to filling the air with profanity. Well, since then, for the purposes of my film reviewing, I've adapted that tried-and-true philosophy to: "Raunchy language and sleazy sexuality is generally proof of a weak-minded script and an awful movie."

That certainly holds true in this case.

Like the similarly themed No Strings Attached, Friends With Benefits tries to remake an old chestnut of a romcom idea into something new and edgy by stirring in a mix of foul language, risqué gags and the wink-wink twist of "meaningless" sex between a couple of pals. The result is a film that's painfully predictable, moral compass-free, profanely vulgar and crammed with as much flesh as the actors' contractual nudity clauses will permit.

That's not to say that the two leads aren't dynamic and attractive. They are. But that's about all the appeal this flick can muster. And even they have a difficult time cracking "perky" jokes in the midst of multiple camera fondlings and orgasmic yelps.

Slightly ironic because of Dylan's new job onscreen, star Mila Kunis told GQ that she had never had a "friends with benefits"-style relationship. "It's like communism—good in theory, in execution it fails," she said. "Friends of mine have done it, and it never ends well. Why do people put themselves through that torture?"

And you know, when I think about this flick, I can't help asking the same question.

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