No Strings Attached - Kutcher and Portman Suffer Love Phobia

I was told that in France, this was released as "Sex Friends". If that were true, I'd give the French a standing ovation for going straight to the point. Anyway, there's a lot of irreverent humor in this rom-com.

The film, in fact, opens with two children: a young Emma and a young Adam who would eventually grow up as newly crowned Oscar Best Actress Natalie Portman ("Black Swan") and funny gorgeous man Ashton Kutcher, respectively. Emma was consoling Adam, and once his tears have all dried up, he nonchalantly asks her; "Can I finger you?"

Much of the narrative coasts with such ribald conduct towards relationship. In fact, Emma, who's a resident physician, agrees to her sexual dalliances with the besotted Adam, just as long as there's no emotional connection. "We're just sex friends; fuck buddies; friends with benefits," she thoroughly describes their relationship to Adam's dad (Kevin Kline).

But the human heart isn't prone to such deceptions. And their sexual proclivities soon turn exclusive. When Emma shuns Adam's truthful confessions, the two separate ways. Will they find each other again along the way? I'll give you one good guess.

With manic energy, intermittent nudity and undeniable charm in the vein of Anne Hathaway and Jake Gyllenhaal's "Love and Other Drugs", Ivan Reitman's "No Strings Attached" dispenses a few lessons on accepting what your emotions dictate. It does get ridiculous when you're aware that both parties seem to genuinely care for each other. But couplings are never easy for anyone. There are no hard and fast rules on relationships except that when you love, you have to give it your all to be truly happy.

Natalie Portman

Portman: Oscar's best!

Ashton Kutcher

Tie me up, tie me down.

Ashton Kutcher gets wired up!

Australian actor Ben Lawson completes a romantic triangle. He plays resident physician Sam.

Ben Lawson shot to Australian fame in the soap, "Neighbours". He is usually cast as a doctor ("No Strings Attached") or a lawyer ("The Deep End"). Lawson was nominated for a 'Most Popular New Male Talent' Logie Award in May 2007, but lost to Dustin Clare (McLeod's Daughters).

Lawson loves his towels.

Brothers - Spoils of War, Crumbs on a Family

In the scorching drama "Brothers", directed by the always reliable Jim Sheridan ("My Left Foot", "In The Name of the Father" & "The Field"), a sibling rivalry comes to the fore when a missing marine Sam (intensely scary Tobey Maguire) is rescued from the clutches of the Taliban in Afghanistan. Sam comes home scarred from the inside out, and his family is feeling all the scraps of his shriveled sanity. Meanwhile, Tommy (dangerously sexy Jake Gyllenhaal) - the family's blacksheep - had been mending his ways and taking care of Sam's family - wife Grace (the endearing Natalie Portman) and their 2 daughters.

The film examines the family dynamics of jealousy and the limits of human frailty. How much can one take without exploding personal shrapnels of grief on your family?

This movie boasts of searing performances all around. Maguire ("Spider-man") is uncharacteristically intense, it was almost unbearable watching him simmer. He had absolute control to a role that could have easily gone ballistic. Gyllenhaal is easily sympathetic, taking on a role that he lived out with rich nuances making Tommy "real". Natalie Portman is charismatic from start to finish.

This is an excellent remake from 2004's "Brother" - a Danish production directed by Susan Bier ("Things We Lost in the Fire", "After the Wedding"). This was also a superior work - which became one of the 100 Favorite Movies of the Decade by "Film Experience".

Doing a Bruce Lee.

"Is this smile good enough?" asks Jake.

Spidery pose.

The Danish original "Brothers" (2004) by Susan Bier.