Middle of Nowhere

I'm knocking movies out of my netflix queue one by one. I think it's possible that I've finally reached the point where I am watching movies more often than I'm adding to my list of movies to watch. Obvs this is not because I'm watching so many movies; it's just that it seems (though I'm sure this isn't possible) that all of the great (and good, and even merely mediocre) movies are either in my queue already, or I've previously watched them.

So. This is the story of a somewhat unlikely summer friendship between college hopeful Grace and poor little rich boy Dorian who has fallen on hard times. They meet through their soul-killing jobs working for a local water park, and bond through their scheme to rake in the money by selling pot.

Consider Middle of Nowhere another mediocre movie. It's Adventureland without the comedic timing of Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig . . . it's Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist without the lovely Kat Dennings . . . it's Star Wars without Han Solo. (OK, right. This movie is nothing like Star Wars. But if it were, it would be missing that essential ingredient.)

Funny, I seem to remember I really liked Anton Yelchin in Charlie Bartlett. But here he was just sort of meh.

Friends With Benefits vs. No Strings Attached

Here's another pair for my list of oddly similar movies. The same sentence could describe either plotline: Two friends agree to add uncomplicated casual sex to their relationship and are SHOCKED to find they can't set their emotions aside.

I'm probably too tough a judge of romantic comedies (as far as I'm concerned, there are very few that are worth watching multiple times--and too many that aren't even worth one shot), so take it with a grain of salt when I say both of these movies are basically just mediocre. They are surprisingly different from each other, given the inherent similarities, but I award FWB the edge solely because of Mila Kunis. That girl is funny. And I love her voice. And she is simultaneously cute and sexy. Of course I think Natalie Portman is absolutely beautiful, but she just doesn't seem to fit in this kind of movie. It's as if, try as she might to resist, she can't hide the fact that a romcom is beneath her.

Both movies had their funny moments; either would be a pleasant (if brainless) way to spend an evening when you have nothing better to do. But here's an even better suggestion: why not just watch Pretty Woman or Clueless again?