The romance genre falls under a lot of scrutiny, but a lot can be forgiven in the story and tropes of a romantic comedy if the chemistry between the central couple is good. When it comes to these rom-coms, the lead actors are so lacking in this department that it can be difficult to watch their onscreen relationships develop. While few of these performers are bad actors or genuinely seem to hate each other, they simply aren't believable as a couple, and this throws off the entire dynamic of a film that relies on the success of its love story. 6b4n71

Romantic comedies regularly share common tropes, themes, and the same actors in different roles, yet the two romantic comedies, also known as twin films, replicate the same storyline. Released in 2011, No Strings Attached, starring Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher, hit theaters in January, and Friends With Benefits, starring Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis, was released six months after No Strings Attached in July. Although these two rom-coms share an identical plot depicting the conventional friends to lovers trope, both films also include differences to somewhat distinctively set each other apart, yet one movie stood out more than the other.

Ivan Reitman was undeniably one of the greatest comedy filmmakers of all time, responsible for some of the most iconic, wackiest movies to hit screens. Reitman, who ed away on February 12, 2022, was thoroughly multitalented, influencing the ways movies were made as a writer, producer, and director. His legacy lives on through his films and the actors and filmmakers he inspired.

Here’s every song that’s featured on the No Strings Attached soundtrack. Originally titled F*** Buddies, Elizabeth Meriwether’s script for No Strings Attached was included on the 2008 Black List – an annual round-up of the best unproduced screenplays – before it was picked up by Paramount Pictures two years later. Directed by Ivan Reitman, it tells the tale of two young singletons named Emma and Adam who live in Los Angeles and attempt to have a “no strings attached” relationship without getting emotionally entangled with each other.

After so many years of telling stories on the big screen, it's hard to find a narrative that is 100 percent truly original. Even acclaimed films like Inception will take inspiration from previously produced works to create its own mythos. That's not inherently a bad thing, however, since when in the right hands an adaptation or a spin on a classic trope can feel fresh and exciting.