No Hard Feelings Movie Review: Jennifer Lawrence, Andrew Barth Feldman’s Raunchy Comedy Brings Out the Laughs With a Touch of Emotion (LatestLY Exclusive)
No Hard Feelings is a romcom directed by Gene Stupnitsky starring Jennifer Lawrence and Andrew Barth Feldman. The film is playing in theatres right now.
No Hard Feelings Movie Review: The special aspect of Gene Stupnitsky's No Hard Feelings is that it immediately feels like a comedy that we no longer see. Bringing an early 2000s vibe that harkens back to the watching experiences of America Pie and Superbad, this is a sure-fire crowd-pleaser that is all about having a good time. That is where it excels, and it is what makes so much of No Hard Feelings delightful to watch. No Hard Feelings Trailer! Jennifer Lawrence and Andrew Barth Feldman’s Comedy Film Will Make You Laugh Out Loud! (Watch Video).
The film follows Maddie (Jennifer Lawrence), an Uber driver, who after having her car towed is at the risk of losing her house that was left by her mother. While looking for work and trying to save her house, she stumbles upon a Craigslist ad posted by two concerned rich parents offering a Buick Regal in exchange for dating their 19-year-old socially inept son Percy (Andrew Barth Feldman). Taking up the offer, Maddie builds an unlikely friendship with the kid while gradually learning what she wants out of life.
No Hard Feelings is simply a comedy that dances around the line of what is and isn't problematic. It teeters really close to that edge, but is still careful not to cross it, and that is what makes so much of this movie work because, while it is a raunchy comedy, it still deals with real people and real emotions, which makes so much of No Hard Feelings seem practical. Never does the film feel overly jumbled within itself, and it is confident enough in delivering a gag with Lawrence and Feldman being incredible on-screen leads.
It's difficult to believe Jennifer Lawrence hasn't done a comedy like this before. She is a perfect fit for Maddie since it allows her to go all out and reveal in the hilarity. When you combine that highly confident and out-there character with Feldman's recluse Percy, you get a "pretty" and "awkward" combo that works wonders. Feldman especially having some of the best gags in the film.
Watch the Trailer for No Hard Feelings:
The side characters also get to deliver some heavy zingers. The couple of Matthew Broderick and Laura Benanti as Percy's parents play up the rich and obnoxious factor, while Natalie Morales as Sarah and Scott MacArthur as Jim - Maddie's friends - are a hilarious duo who also play into the heart of the plot. And something that truly surprised me was that No Hard Feelings contains a lot of heart in addition to its chuckles.
You'd think a film like this would be devoid of depth and play up its immaturity, but No Hard Feelings will occasionally reveal a layer that serves its characters. I was actually surprised by this story about self-growth and, shockingly, striving to break out of your shell. However, those layers can sometimes come at the expense of the film's own nature. The comedy can go missing, especially in the third act, where a lot of it deals with a major development involving Maddie, and while I was hoping for more, the humour wasn't raring to come out.
The final act of No Hard Feelings is a tad laborious in its execution. The story's resolution is worthwhile, but getting there can be tedious, and this was a problem for the film's introduction too, which felt clumsily put together. No Hard Feelings Review: Jennifer Lawrence's Raunchy Comedy Gets a Thumbs Up From Critics Who Call it 'Saucy' and 'Hilarious'.
While these issues do exist, No Hard Feelings compensates for them with its fantastic comedy beats. It's not as sex-driven as one would think, but the humour certainly is plentiful raunchy. Feldman maces Lawrence in the face, there's a hilarious skinny-dipping scene that gradually devolves into a naked fight on the beach (thanks to the Indian Censor Board for cutting it up to bits; it was totally not jarring to see that at all, sarcasm alert), and then a party scene that had me in stitches - the film just gave me more of that 2000s vibe that I wanted, and that's what ultimately made No Hard Feelings an enjoyable time.
Final Thoughts
If there is one film this summer that will bring you the laughs with a touch of emotion, that would be No Hard Feelings. The duo of Jennifer Lawrence and Andrew Barth Feldman are a knockout, and here is hoping that these types of films begin to make a comeback. No Hard Feelings is playing in theatres right now.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 25, 2023 07:31 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).