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Top Notch Film-making, 6 October 2009
10/10
Author: stormwatch-2 from United Sates

I was privileged to be able to catch this movie at the recent HELL'S HALF MILE FILM FESTIVAL in Bay City, Michigan. The night before the screening I had the honor of meeting the director and two of his actors, who kindly came to my own screening. Not only were they awesome people, they were truly genuine and great to be around. I live in Los Angeles. This does not exist there.

Friends (with Benefits) is a movie with premise that my sound familiar. Let's face it. there are very few new ideas. But dammit, I watched this movie unfold, thinking I knew exactly where it was going...and each time, I was wonderfully incorrect. The writing was crisp and biting, the direction was assured and innovative, the actors delivered wonderfully comic, tragic and SEXY performances and I literally sat there drinking it all in. I was truly sorry it ended when it did.

Special kudos go to Alex Brown and Lynn Mancinelli...and NOT just because I got to meet them and get to know them at the festival, but because their performances were STANDOUTS. What each of them can do with just a look can destroy you. These are definitely two to keep an eye on...and lucky for us, Gorman Bechard is already making that happen.

What ever you do, check this movie out. You'll be awful glad you did. I am proud to call these filmmakers my friends. How cool is that?

~Scott Storm

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1 out of 1 people found the following comment useful :-
familiar but surprising, and very entertaining, 30 July 2009
8/10
Author: jksalvo from San Francisco

I was able to watch a copy of this movie the other night that a friend of Mr. Bechard let me borrow, and the first word that comes to mind is "surprising". Surprisingly funny, surprisingly touching, and just surprising in general.

I have to admit to being a bit skeptical at first. The movie started off feeling a bit gimmicky (some scenes are split-screen, characters have interview-like discussions with a psychologist off camera, movie is divided into chapters like a book...) and cliché (both in characters and concept), and there were definitely moments early on when I felt like the movie was going to be painfully predictable. But then something changed; I'm not sure if it was the flow of the movie, or the way I was perceiving it, but what at first struck me as a set of cliché characters started feeling like a group of my old friends. The excellent dialogue, directing, and cast performances really flesh out these characters (ESPECIALLY the supporting cast), and in doing so lend the movie a certain familiarity and credibility. The two supporting male characters (Jeff and Brad), in particular, started to remind me so much of a couple friends of mine it was scary. I began caring about what happened to the people involved, and that to me is really the keystone of a good story.

Then, just when I was getting comfortable with the plot and the group of friends, the movie started throwing curveballs... decidedly raunchy and often uncomfortable curveballs at that (in a good way, of course). This is where a lot of the surprise came from. Eventually I stopped thinking that I knew what was going to happen and just sat back and enjoyed the ride. The "gimmicks" actually turned out to be quite effective tools Mr. Bechard used to round out the characters and set up and deliver some really hilarious lines. The movie itself came away feeling well paced, well thought out, and the acting was at such a level I forgot I was watching an indie flick. The soundtrack was also very good and tied in perfectly with the rest of the story.

I would definitely recommend this movie to my friends, although it might not be for everyone (especially for the summer Hollywood blockbuster types). Just be patient, give it a chance, and I know it will make you laugh (and probably cringe few times too).

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1 out of 1 people found the following comment useful :-
Sex comedy with raunch and heart, 28 July 2009
8/10
Author: Anne Shulock from Sacramento

I recently saw this movie at the Sacramento Film and Music Festival, and thought it was great!

The movie centers on a group of six friends in their early 20s, and the various sexual combinations you can get from three women and three men. (One kind of silly distraction: of the six main actors, all of whom were good, one looked like Melissa Joan Hart, one looked like Mark Paul Gosselaar, and one looked like Adrian Grenier.)

I went back and forth on whether the touting of the movie as "A novel with moving pictures" and the use of chapter headings with cutesy titles was annoying or helpful, but I think I liked it, because the movie isn't a straightforward romantic comedy. It's composed of bits and pieces-- confessional-type scenes with a therapist ("Dick Weed"), split screens, music montages (the main character is in a band), flashbacks (the requisite senior prom), a fast scrolling of one character's rules for living. Plus plenty of talking about sex and then sex and then dealing with the aftermath.

Sure, there were some clichés, but the movie felt surprisingly fresh. Plus, the two leads had great chemistry. One part I didn't feel was as successful was the treatment of parents--only one set of parents makes it on screen, and it's an overbearing father pressuring his son. That relationship didn't seem to have the nuance and creativity of the friends' relationships.

For a low-budget movie, it looked and sounded lush (nice music, too).

If you have the chance to see Friends (with Benefits), I'd highly recommend it. Just maybe go with someone who you'll be comfortable sharing a raunchy evening with.

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"Friends..., Don't F*@k", 24 July 2009
10/10
Author: Sami from United States

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Friends with Benefits? It's something that people will be toying with forever. Mr. Bechard's movie brings this touchy subject to light, while using a nice mix of humor and emotion. The audience is able to witness the intensity and passion that sex can bring into relationships, but also the destruction . I really enjoyed how nothing was really taboo in this movie, from toe sucking to Bulldogs. Mr. Bechard was not afraid to reveal the quirkiness of sex, those little extra tidbits and details that many are too embarrassed to expose. The dynamics of the relationships were well written. I felt the love between Chloe and Owen, as well as the tight bond between the other groups of friends. The music fit perfectly and the shots were beautiful ( I mean, the bathing scene of Shirley alone gave me goose-bumps!) I truly enjoyed this movie and highly recommend it if you are looking for a good laugh, a good cry, and possibly some new ideas!

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all the components, 3 July 2009
10/10
Author: thinmanmusic from United States

So we settle in for a romantic/comic/sex farce kinda film and going in I'm in the pocket and the wife is on the fence. But guess what? We laughed, we were touched by the sensitivity between the laughs and in the end-I got laid! It's the perfect date movie. The photography is surprisingly lush for an indie film. The use of split screens never gets confusing or trite. The dialog is fast paced but just fast enough- funny jokes within jokes-let's just say I'm enthused.I want to quit my job to follow that rock band on tour- but maybe bring them a couple of songs.Or maybe it's just that I want to follow Chloe wherever she goes. Bechard has hit his artistic stride with this film.I'm hoping his treatment of "2nd Greatest Story" will be up to these standards- he's set his bar very high.

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1 out of 1 people found the following comment useful :-
Smart - Introspective, 24 June 2009
9/10
Author: jkjenniferkelly from United States

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Gorman delivers - everything from casting, sound track and direction. The plot which 'yes' has been done before surprisingly has a fresh feel. I think everyone can relate to most, if not all the characters individually, then definitely to the group of friends as a whole. The cast has a wonderful chemistry; which keeps you enthralled. The sound track is amazing, signature Bechard - and the split screens are brilliant. Loved the supporting cast from the understated therapist to Polly and the professor; everyone brought a unique nuance to the film. Never do you feel as if you are watching a low budget Indie film, truly has the feel of major studio backing.

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1 out of 1 people found the following comment useful :-
i woulda paid 5,000 for that dog., 22 June 2009
7/10
Author: gracybee from United States

i thought that this movie was beautifully shot. i have seen and read almost all of mr.bechards books and films and it was nice to see a departure from the gloom and doom. i thought that jake Alexander and lynn mancinelli were stellar actors. very natural. it definitely made me think of being in similar situations with very similar outcomes. the delicious twists and turns were a nice surprise and added some spice to the plot. i would love to see a sequel that focused on the friends of the lead characters. i was really intrigued with their story line and wanted to know more about them. all in all i recommend this movie and all it's quirkiness. it also has a stellar soundtrack that was well thought out. congrats to the cast and crew for making an entertainingly funny movie.

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It rocks!, 16 June 2009
10/10
Author: sosickoftherain from Los Angeles

After many years of wonderful but exceedingly depressing films (You Are Alone) and novels (Good Neighbors, Unwound, 9th Square), filmmaker Gorman Bechard returns to his comedy roots (Psychos in Love, and his wonderful first two novels, The Second Greatest Story Ever Told and Balls) with Friends With Benefits, a movie that is billed as a romantic comedy, but is so so so much more.

I was lucky enough to get a screener of this film to coincide with the world premiere at STIFF last week. Though I couldn't make it to Seattle, I nonetheless watched the movie on Friday evening, as if I were there.

You know it's a Bechard film right off the bat when some of the first words out of any character's mouth are "The Replacements, Husker Du, Archers of Loaf." That made me smile. It also assured me another rocking the free world soundtrack was approaching quickly. The StarSpangles kicked things off during the opening credits! Side note: the rights to the songs in this film would cost the average Hollywood studio a good quarter million dollars, and yet the budget here for the entire film was less than that. So it certainly says a lot about Bechard's film-making abilities that bands of this magnitude trust him with their music, and want to be a part of his films. That speaks volumes.

Friends is a simple enough story at heart. A boy and a girl, Owen and Chloe, friends since childhood, both now in med school, both too busy for romance, decide to become friends with benefits, and have no strings attached sex, to at least lessen their burden of horniness. Of course, they've been secretly in love with each other forever, and thus the problems begin.

And though they certainly do have their issues, it's nothing compared to their four friends, who at first warn them of the dangers of sleeping with your friends, until of course the temptation becomes unbearable.

I won't reveal what happened next, but will say that about the half-way point I thought, oh, no, I can't believe Bechard is going there. Such a cliché. Well, he did...but then within second, he went one step farther, the cliché was slaughtered, and all was well with the world. Friends With Benefits crosses the line, wonderfully and comically. I won't say which line, but trust me; you'll know it when you get to it.

I was trying to think of a good comparison to other movies, and I would have to say it contains the best raunchy humor of a Judd Aptow film combined with the sweetness of the best romantic comedies like The Wedding Singer, or The Sure Thing. It's a marvelous story (with amazing music) about love and lust and longing and sexual identity, and it so rings true to life because damn if me and everyone I know didn't experiment a little in college. It IS true to life. The acting is great. The cast is adorable. I want to go for a drink with Alison. I want to do dirty things to Owen. I don't know if the band in the film really play together, but they sure seem as if they do. The editing by Bechard and Ashley McGarry, also his writing and producing partner on the project, is fast and furious. Amazing use of split screens!!! The script is crisp, with dialog that real people would actually speak. The movie looks amazing.

OK, if I were to nitpick, the first 10 minutes are a little slow. But then, the first 10 minutes of most indie films are slow. Hell, most indie films are slow, period. And I'm not in love with one of the small supporting roles, but we're talking a few lines of dialog. It's not horrible, just not as great as the leads. Okay, I really thought Jessica Bohl in You Are Alone was the greatest unknown casting find of all time, but Bechard and McGarry somehow managed to find a half dozen unknowns as talented as Bohl. Don't know how, just hope it continues.

But really, once you get to Owen on his knees -- oh, damn, the dirty thoughts again -- suggesting that he and Chloe add some benefits to their friendship, well, the movie soars, it flies, and before you know it you're wiping a few tears from your eyes right before the end credits roll, then laughing again when an early joke finally receives its punch line AFTER the end credits.

Yes, I am a fan of Gorman Bechard. And though he really only seems to have a cult following, those that get his work truly "get it". The reviews of Alone or Psychos here on IMDb, or the reviews of his novels on Amazon prove that. One day the world will know what us few already do, Bechard knows how to tell a story, how to make you think, care, laugh, cry, how to turn you on. He's the best kept secret in the entertainment world. Friends With Benefits is just another great example of that. To paraphrase Chloe, it rocked!

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An indie film with heart., 16 November 2009
9/10
Author: (lauren-k-mcgarry) from United States

After viewing the film at the Royal Flush Film Festival in NYC, I was impressed with the heart that the film had. Like most good independent films, FWB shows the passion and dedication that the filmmakers put into creating it. The story rings true to everyone on some level and it has some very nice moments (both of the humorous and touching varieties). The dialog has some real high points to accompany some very funny visuals. Though the content may make some people uncomfortable, the writers/editors dealt with the subject matter in a simple, yet effective way. A fine little film. I would recommend this film to a friend.

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A funny, sexy original!, 26 October 2009
9/10
Author: stevem1191 from NYC

F(WB) is a fun and quirky look at the (somewhat convoluted) personal lives of six twenty-somethings who decide its time to experiment with some "non-traditional" relationships. The writing is hysterical and will remind those of us who are no longer in our twenties of those heady days of hook-ups and romantic misunderstandings. And it doesn't shy away from the raunch. The cast is outstanding. The crisp, witty dialogue (which sounds almost Tarantino-esquire in its funny, gritty realism) is delivered at a clip that grabs and holds the viewer's attention throughout. I didn't notice the time passing while watching this movie. This movie's not for kids, and I mean that in a good way. I'd love to have a beer with Alison.

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