No Strings Attached

Coming off a Golden Globe win for perhaps the most challenging role of her career in Black Swan, you might think that Natalie Portman would just want to forget she was involved in No Strings Attached. But she actually accomplishes another daunting task onscreen with this film: she makes a cliché-filled genre feel fresh. The actress can be proud of her work in this movie, because if anything, it's her delightful comic turn as Emma that makes the film entertaining.

There's no new ground broken in the plot (see exhibit A), as Emma and her friend Adam (Ashton Kutcher) decide that a real relationship is too much work, and settle for sex with — you got it — no strings attached. Naturally, the arrangement gets complicated when Emma and Adam develop feelings for each other, and even a person who has never seen a movie before will predict what becomes of them. But is it worth taking the ride anyway? Thanks to a funny script and fantastic cast, it is. Find out why when you read more

Mindy Kaling may be most recognizable for her role as Kelly on The Office, but she's also one of the show's writers and has so much more in the works. Kaling is working on a book, writing a romantic comedy, and she's also appearing on the big screen alongside Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher in No Strings Attached. I caught up with her at the Winter TCA to talk about everything that's on her plate, including the return of her girl group, Subtle Sexuality!

What's coming for Kelly during the rest of the season on The Office?
Mindy Kaling: It's funny because Kelly appears in episodes at the last minute to tell a funny joke. She doesn't have arcs or anything really. She'll get in a few good jokes but in a lot of ways, she's like a Simpsons cartoon. Not a lot of things happen to her — maybe one or two things in the season. I don't know though. She might get promoted but we're still not sure. That'd be kind of funny.

How was it working with Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher on No Strings Attached?
MK: Well, I only had that one scene with Ashton, but every day on set people would say, "Ashton got a masseuse for everyone on set!" or "Ashton got a juice truck for the cast and crew today!" And even though Natalie has been acting since she was like 10, in her heart, she's just a nice Jewish girl from Long Island whose dad is a doctor and went to Harvard. She just felt like someone I grew up with. She's so East Coast. Her parents really emphasized her education. I got along with her really well. She's completely an unpretentious kind of girl.

Was it fun to film?
MK: Yeah, you know, all of my scenes were with Greta Gerwig and Natalie, which was amazing because I love those girls. It was just a dream.

To find out about Kaling's book, the movie she wrote, and when Subtle Sexuality's next hit will emerge, just read more

• Or, at least what Ashton Kutcher wasn't saying, until now — Glamour
• Are engagementcations ruining marriage? — YourTango
• 10 sweet guy scenes from films — The Frisky
• Enough with the dating studies — College Candy
• Use tax season to talk money in your relationship — SavvySugar
• 10 favorite out-of-control teens — Flavorwire
• Can best friends be sex friends? — Em & Lo
• Non-drinking woman ousted from bar — LilSugar
• Golden Globe winner predictions — BuzzSugar

The first trailer for No Strings Attached made us believe that Ashton Kutcher and Natalie Portman's new romantic comedy is more of a tender love story than a raunchy sex comedy. Well, forget about all that, because this new red band trailer begs to differ.

This time around, we've got F-bombs, more sex scenes, period jokes, and yes — a nice view of Kutcher's bare butt. We also get more back story on how these two ended up in the sack together, as well as more laughs from supporting players like Ludacris and Mindy Kaling. It's making it harder than ever to tell the difference between this film and Friends With Benefits (here's some help with that), but I definitely feel more confident that this could be a romantic comedy that both men and women can appreciate. Check it out, and tell me if you agree when you keep reading.