There have been many music videos that incorporated dialogue. Michael Jackson's "Thriller." Paula Abdul's "Rush Rush." Pat Benetar's "Love Is A Battlefield." But until Justin Timberlake's 9-minute clip for "What Goes Around," no music video could claim to have dialogue written by the guy who directed The Notebook, Nick Cassavetes. Perfect, non-stunted, completely necessary dialogue like:
Justin Timberlake: I never seen you before. You work at the club?
Scarlett Johannsson: Leave me alone. I'm with someone.
JT: Really?
SJ: Yeah.
JT: Who?
SJ: That guy over there.
JT: Look, I never seen you before. You work at the club?
SJ: I'm really bored.
JT: You're bored?
SJ: Yes.
God, me too. And this video just started. Bring on the fire dancers, hilarious fake pool drownings, and those pesky burning car pile-ups that always materialize when you're in a high-speed car chase with the boyfriend who just caught you kissing his friend in a stairwell:
Moral: Everything is fuzzy. Except for the fact that if you cheat on Justin Timberlake, you'll end up in a horrible car wreck that seemingly leaves you both without a scratch and also dead on the street. You'll deserve it too, because, you know, what comes around goes around.