The latest news from camp “Friends with Benefits” (which contains three different projects) concerning Ivan Reitman’s project has arrived via Variety. Cary Elwes will be finding time in between busting out of life-threatening traps and pretending to be a Beatle to play a part in Reitman’s currently untitled comedy.
The film, which stars Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher, will center around the two characters as they struggle to prove that you can have a purely sexual relationship without becoming attached or fall in love. Elwes will play the Portman character’s doctor, with their doctor-patient relationship going a little further than a regular check up.
It’s very hard to sound excited about this picture (or the other one) because they don’t sound at all interesting. Sure, the set-up is there, it can be potentially funny, but it seems more of a sitcom device (which is probably why a sitcom with the same premise is on the way) than an actual funny idea. Ashton Kutcher or Cary Elwes’ recent track records leave much to be desired but maybe everyone will manage to tap into that unused/dormant potential (good luck Ashton) and the pic will end up being hilarious, but it’s doubtful. Portman’s a charmer and has picked quite a few interesting roles and directors to work with the past few years, but it all circles back to Reitman, whose last attempt at comedy was the trainwreck, “My Super Ex Girlfriend” and before that, the barely noteworthy “Evolution.”
Paramount seems to be hedging their bets as well, as they’ve slotted the film for a dumping ground release of January 7, 2011.
