Movie Review: No Hard Feelings
Posted on Friday, June 30, 2023 at 4:35 pm.
No Hard Feelings is the first surprise movie of the year. I am admittedly a fan of Jennifer Lawrence so I watched the movie mainly to support her while the trailer left a lot to be desired. Like most R-rated comedies, I expected the worst and hoped for the best...and I'm so glad this movie definitely made it into the Best category. There's more humor, more heart and an amazing comedic performance from Lawrence, who uses his natural personality and presence to make for entertaining comedy... and one particular scene that broke the internet? Let's just say Viggo Mortensen better wait because Jennifer Lawrence is on the hunt for her fight scene crown.
Maddie (Jennifer Lawrence) and Percy (Andrew Bart Feldman) in No Strong Moves by Columbia Pictures.
Set in Montauk, New York, the film follows Maddie (Lawrence), a local who has recently left the state. After her mother dies, Maddie stays in her childhood home but can't afford the fees, especially as the wealthy flock to the area and the cost of living rises. As an Uber driver, Maddy gets even more frustrated when her car gets impounded. Now unemployed, she's looking for something that will allow her to keep paying the house and keep her mother's memory alive. So a young woman in her 20s decides to respond to an ad that wants to give her lonely, nerdy son Percy (Andrew Bart Feldman) something to do before he goes off to college: a car swap. Maddie is in her late thirties and doesn't know what her family calls "experience," but she believes it's an opportunity to move on. And hey, she got worse, right?
Although some may see this movie as a "sexy" comedy, it has more to say than others in this genre. You'll spend less time winning over audiences and more focused on topics like getting your own home and getting out of your comfort zone. The film is incredibly sexual, allowing Lawrence's character to be comfortable with her character and break the usual taboos surrounding female sexuality. In one scene, Maddie and her best friend Sarah talk about all the reasons why they decided to meet a guy; Many of the reasons are harmless and funny, and I love that there is finally a movie that shows women being open about their sexuality and making jokes.
This movie wouldn't exist without Jennifer Lawrence, not only because she made the movie, but because she's the beating heart of what's going on. Lawrence has been doing comedies throughout her career, but this is the first time we've seen her dive into the comedy genre in a mainstream debut. And I don't know if this movie would work with a different actor. I love that it leans heavily on physical comedy, which consistently works for the film's best scenes. Scenes range from something as small as trying to climb stairs on roller skates to as big as crashing and grinding. But some of my favorite moments in the film were the transitions from humor to a more sensitive and relatable side of the character, one who wants to help the young man come out of his shell but also wants to protect his heart. It's in these moments that the film really shines, bolstered by the wonderful chemistry between Lawrence and Feldman.
"No Hard Feelings" has a masterful balance of tone, sometimes shifting from the comedic elements to the sentimental in the same scene, ensuring it's a heavy hitter in the R-rated adult comedy genre when it leaves the theater. ...and like I said, you'll be ready to talk about that show to anyone who watches it.
My grade: B+
