No Hard Feelings

No Hard Feelings (2023) is a raunchy comedy that, while it may initially seem to be heading for the typical, outrageous path of adult humor, surprisingly veers towards a safer route. It's a film that entices you with its unapologetic humor and then surprises you with its turns toward heartfelt moments.

Jennifer Lawrence stands out in this film in a genre often dominated by male performances. Her comedic chops are impeccable, with her delivering lines that will have you laughing out loud. One memorable scene involves her character at a disastrous dinner party where everything that can go wrong, does - her reactions alone are worth the price of admission.

But it's not all laughs. Lawrence flexes her dramatic muscles too, proving that she has an impressive range as an actress. A poignant scene where she confronts her past showcases her ability to seamlessly transition from comedy to drama. It's a testament to her versatility and reinforces her stature as one of Hollywood's most talented actresses.

"No Hard Feelings" is a film that guarantees extreme laughs along the way. It strikes a balance between funny and heartfelt, making it a must-watch for fans of R-rated comedy that's got a bit of soul.

In a cinematic landscape where films tend to be overproduced, overextended, and overplayed, "No Hard Feelings" is a breath of fresh air. It's a film that knows its strengths and plays to them without trying to be more than it is. With a 90-minute run time, it's a concise, well-paced film that doesn't overstay its welcome.

However, the film isn't without its faults. Its predictability can be a bit of a letdown, and the sentimental ending, while touching, feels somewhat out of place in the raunchy comedy. The final act, in particular, feels forced in its attempt to pull the film out of a predictable tailspin.

Despite these minor flaws, "No Hard Feelings" is a film worth watching. It's a testament to Jennifer Lawrence's range as an actress, delivering plenty of laughs along the way. Its mix of humor and heart makes it a worthy addition to the genre.

It's definitely not the raunchy comedy promised by its trailers and initial premise, although those moments are there but No Hard Feelings is a surprisingly sweet comedy that has enough laughs and predictably satisfying arcs throughout the course of it's run time to remain a really entertaining watch.

Jennifer Lawrence is great, more than capable of covering all the grounds the role requires and even makes the more emotional moments that could feel out of place actually work. Andrew Barth Feldman is also great, his awkwardness never becomes annoying, instead its always endearing and funny.

Gene Stupnitsky's direction is really good, making sure the central premise never gets uncomfortable in undesired ways, adding some clever inversions for a few memorable jokes and keeping the film light on its feet thanks to a couple of montages as well.

This movie turned out to be surprisingly wholesome and sweet. Jennifer Lawrence looks beautiful and plays a sassy, down to earth character who has personal struggles. I love her sense of humour as well. I also pointed out the colour grading in the movie. There's a warmth to it that is lovely to look at. Something I've noticed newer movies have been missing and it just makes such a difference. I also liked the movies message on modern dating and friendship. How it seems it's pretty normal to rely on our technology to socialize now, but what everyone really wants is personal connection. Something many people struggle to find in this day and age. It isn't even our fault.

No Hard Feelings is a pretty entertaining but unspectacular comedy. It will be sure to produce some good laughs, but the story is a little too paper thin and the characters a little too 2-dimensional for it to truly impress.

It follows Jennifer Lawrence as 32 year old Maddie, who finds herself embroiled in a scheme to save her house by 'dating' a 19 year old at the behest of his parents.

It's not the worst set up I've ever seen in a comedy, but it's not great either. Saying this, it does allow for plenty of comedic scenarios and is actually a pretty funny film, with numerous laugh out loud moments.

As well as being funny it boasts two brilliant lead performances. Jennifer Lawrence is always brilliant so it's no surprise that she steals the show. I'd never even heard of Andrew Barth Feldman before, but he really shines in his role and plays it to perfection. The supporting cast is minimal, so it really is all about the two terrific performances from these two.

My real gripe is with the plot. I don't think the emotional elements resonated as the characters are too poorly fleshed out. When the film gets bogged down in the emotional beat it slows down the pacing too much. I just didn't find myself getting invested in any of the characters, the outcome of the story (mostly because it was very predictable), or the emotional journey of it all.

If you're looking for a late night comedy that will be sure to get you laughing, No Hard Feelings should do the trick. I highly doubt it will go down as a classic of the genre, but it does its job well enough.

However, the film loses steam in the last 30-40 minutes because it becomes a lot more serious. There are still some jokes and many are funny at that part of the film. But the tonal shift of the movie felt a little jarring.

It also is incredibly sweet and not really cheesy. Only a repeat of a gag earlier in the last 10 minutes of the movie seemed a bit cheesy.

Jennifer Lawrence needs to do more comedies though. She has a ton of charisma for romcoms.

As a guy, I haven't liked many romcoms, but this one was far more modern compared to those 90's and 2000's ones. Trainwreck was another pretty funny movie to me as well.