Would it kill Hollywood to be more creative?
As a Netflix customer, I add new releases to my queue when I see previews for them. Then I forget about them, until sooner or later they become available on DVD and Netflix mails them to me. Yesterday Friends with Benefits arrived in the mail, so Andy and I watched it last night. I noticed it was rated R, but I didn’t notice the “raunchy” description. Honestly, I was expecting an instant replay of No Strings Attached, since the summaries made the two movies sound like clones of each other. Anyway, I’m an adult and can handle R rated movies. However, I was shocked when watching Friends with Benefits. How on earth did this movie get an R rating, rather than NC-17? It was basically soft porn! I wouldn’t exactly say I’m a prude. Actually, I’ve been known to have a slightly twisted sense of humor. But this movie took it way too far, and left nothing to the imagination. And for what purpose? It certainly didn’t make the plot deeper. Am I the only one who thinks gore, violence, nudity, profanity, and graphic content is a poor replacement for a great plot? In my opinion, some of the best movies of all time are the ones that ignite your imagination, rather than desensitizing the audience.
Films should be art AND entertainment. And some things should NEVER be entertainment.