The Mixed Messages of 'No Strings Attached'

I try to stay away from movie trailers as much as possible — either because they rarely give you an accurate idea of what a movie is truly about or because they reveal the entire thing in two minutes. (On the other hand, I suppose I'd rather spend a few minutes with something like Tron: Legacy or The Tourist than sit through two mind-numbing hours.)

An example of the first reason is on display in the difference between the theatrical trailer version of No Strings Attached (which is set to open wide Jan. 21) and its much racier red band version. The former positions it as a typical romantic comedy rife with swelling music and charming sidekicks, while the latter brings to mind a sexed-up late-night B-movie comedy (complete with B-movie-chops-yet-somehow-still-a-multiplex-leading-man Ashton Kutcher) given credibility by the presence of an A-list star like Natalie Portman and  glossy, high-budget production values. The cast also includes indie darlings Greta Gerwig and Olivia Thirlby, as well as Kevin Kline, who's got to be frustrated with his current place in the Hollywood landscape when he is reduced to playing Kutcher's lecherous dad.

Whatever the case, it's an interesting project for Portman, who's probably the leading contender to win the Best Actress Oscar for Black Swan. Even more curious is the presence of Ivan Reitman, a veteran director (Ghostbusters, Kindergarten Cop) who's better known these days as a busy producer and the father of filmmaker Jason Reitman (Up in the Air) than the guy who started his career with Meatballs and Stripes.

Check the red band trailer: