No Hard Feelings review

NO HARD FEELINGS: 

NO HARD FEELINGS, BUT THIS JENNIFER LAWRENCE COMEDY IS A RIOT! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** out of 4

COLUMBIA PICTURES

Jennifer Lawrence and Andrew Barth Feldman in No Hard Feelings

 

            A 32-year-old Uber driver and bartender dates a 19-year-old virgin in hopes of saving her house from bankruptcy in No Hard Feelings, the new R-rated sex comedy from Gene Stupnitsky (The Office, Good Boys) and starring Jennifer Lawrence (The Hunger Games franchise, Silver Linings Playbook, American Hustle). While raunchy humor can be hit-or-miss to me at times, when done well not only can I find it funny but often laugh out loud hilarious with some of my favorite comedies of all time being of the raunchy variety like Superbad, Tropic Thunder, and The Hangover. 

            I enjoyed Stupnitsky’s previous directing effort with 2019’s Good Boys and called it the unofficial prequel to Superbad but in the grade/middle school environment. While the R-rated jokes coming out of grade-schoolers’ mouths were quite funny, I also appreciate how he also worked in some surprisingly heartfelt and touching moments in that movie as well. 

            Naturally, I was onboard for another movie from him especially one with Jennifer Lawrence in the lead role. I think Lawrence has strong comedic potential as she’s showcased it before in other movies despite being better known for portraying the Girl on Fire or for her performances in awards season films. 

            I can say with much enthusiasm that I found No Hard Feelings to be quite funny and very charming if you can believe it. Yeah, a movie about a 32-year-old dating a teenager is actually charming. 

            The film follows Maddie (Lawrence), a down on her luck Uber driver and bartender who is facing bankruptcy after her car is repossessed and trying to pay off property taxes on her childhood home. Desperate to save her home, Maddie answers a want-ad from a pair of wealthy helicopter parents known as Laird (Matthew Broderick-Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, The Freshman, Election) and Allison (Laura Benanti-The Detour, Here Today, Tick, Tick… Boom!) to date their socially awkward son, Percy (Andrew Barth Feldman-A Tourist’s Guide to Love) before he leaves for college in exchange for a car. 

            But Maddie soon learns there is more to this awkward teen than she expected and allows him to come out of his shell through the time they spend together. 

            The film also stars Natalie Morales (Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, The Grinder, Parks and Recreation) as Sarah, Scott MacArthur (The Mick, El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie, Halloween Kills) as Jim, Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Punisher, Girls, The Bear) as Gary, Hasan Minhaj (The Daily Show, The Spy Who Dumped Me, Dads) as Doug Khan, Kyle Mooney (Saturday Night Live, Brigsby Bear, Batman VS Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) as Jody, and Zahn McClarnon (Fargo, Westworld, Marvel Cinematic Universe) as Gabe Sawyer. 

            Overall, No Hard Feelings doesn’t try to be a comedy game-changer or anything like that, it’s just a funny homage to raunchy comedies from the mid-late 2000s with some genuinely touching moments sprinkled in there for good measure. While I’ve seen much funnier movies of this particular genre of comedy before, I found myself laughing quite a bit during the film and most of that is geared towards the casting of both Lawrence and Feldman. 

            As previously mentioned, Jennifer Lawrence isn’t really known for her comedic roles, but she gives a very funny performance in the film and has strong comedic timing. One of her best scenes is when she first meets Percy at an animal shelter that he volunteers at and tries to act flirty and sexy around him, but it comes off as awkward and uncomfortable which I thought was hysterical and shows off her capabilities as a funny actress. 

            I’m not familiar with Andrew Barth Feldman’s other work, but he is a standout in the film as this socially awkward teenage boy. His performance leans more towards slapstick and physical comedy as this kid who’s never really explored the outside world and most of Feldman’s comedy comes from his reactions to situations Lawrence’s Maddie gets him into without coming off as a complete idiot. 

            It doesn’t stop there though, both actors are also excellent in the more heartfelt moments of the film despite its absurd and seemingly problematic premise. Over the course of the movie, Lawrence and Feldman’s characters do form a strong friendship and it’s genuinely sweet with both characters wanting to help each other out with their current predicaments. 

            When Lawrence’s Maddie tells Feldman’s Percy about her past and why she’s the way she is, it’s surprisingly heavy and adds elements of humanity and sympathy to her character which I was not expecting to get. Also, on a more uplifting note, it’s also charming to see Feldman’s Percy outside his room and interacting with the outside world to the point where it’s somewhat contagious, you’re just so happy watching him because he’s so happy. 

            No Hard Feelings is one of those films that gives exactly what it advertises while also leaving room for unexpected surprises. It’s a funny and very heartfelt comedy that blends its raunchy sex humor with a touching story about growing up and gaining independence that’s elevated by the charm of its leads. 

            No Hard Feelings, I hope!