Frankly speaking, I am not a real fan of romantic comedies, but I have seen a few at the movie theatre with my friends. Friends with Benefits appealed to me as it seems to differ from the other films of this genre. However, soon No Strings Attached appeared on the screens, and they turned out to have much in common. Similar ideas of the movies made me wonder what makes them unique and attractive to the cinemagoers.
As two people meet each other and realize that they enjoy spending time together, but they decide to keep their relations physical and not to cross the line of friendship. It is the core event that is common for both movies. Still, there are some differences in the way the couples get acquainted. In Friends with Benefits, a headhunter waits for the new co-worker (Dylan) to come from another city. They both search for support and become friends on this basis. The beginning of the relationships between main characters is more complicated in No Strings Attached. They met being children, then lose each other and find again in several years. These two look more like acquaintances than friends at the moment.
The things start moving as the couples have first sex. Having fun together, the main characters of Friends with Benefits watch a romantic comedy. They discuss it and decide that it would be great if people could treat sex as a game: only physical actions and no emotions. The concept appeals to them, so they get involved. In No Strings Attached, the male character (Adam) gets drunk and wakes up in the girl’s apartment. Being falsely blamed for having sex with her friends, he tries to explain the situation and their first time happens unexpectedly.
The breaking event is the most tensed one in both movies. It reveals concealed emotions and attitudes of the characters and puts their relations on the new level. Friends with benefits face difficulties as Jamie (female character) is invited to visit her co-worker’s family. His sister tries to make Dylan admit that he likes the girl not just like a friend, but he claims that she is not good enough for him. As Jamie hears it, she leaves. In No Strings Attached, the Adam finds out that Emma (female character) starts dating with another guy. Still, he convinces her to spend one day together. Everything was fine, but they break when Adam claims that he loves the girl.
To enhance the situation, the characters of the movies do their best to be together with the people they love. Dylan gathers a lot of people and organizes a flash mob to impress Jamie. The man reveals his feelings and asks her to come back. Jamie agrees to have a date. In No Strings Attached, the initiator of common events is a girl. Have not seen Adam for a long time, she understands that she needs him and wants to be together. However, as she comes to his place, Emma sees him with another woman and goes back. Later Adam calls her and says that they need to talk face-to-face if she really wants to break up. The girl comes to him and claims that she loves him.
Taking everything mentioned into consideration it occurs to be clear that these romantic comedies have the same structure and idea. Still, they are realized in different ways, which makes the movies unique and allows them to grasp viewers’ attention.