Jennifer Lawrence gets hilariously raunchy in a sweet-natured sex comedy with surprisingly relevant themes. No Hard Feelings has the Oscar-winning actress down on her luck in beautiful Montauk, New York. She owes a small fortune in property taxes and is about to lose her deceased mother’s house.
A desperate Craigslist ad from a rich couple seems like an easy answer to her financial woes. The ad? Date their shy and introverted son for a Buick. What begins as a quick nerd seduction turns into a formidable task. The protagonist discovers her hapless lust target actually wants romance and friendship first. They’re forced to face uncomfortable truths that have been barriers to happiness.
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Maddie Barker (Lawrence) wakes up to her car being towed. Gary (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), her ghosted ex-boyfriend, takes no pleasure in repossession. He’s just doing a job for the city, but feels betrayed and hurt from her unexpected dumping. Maddie turns on the charm to rekindle those old flames of love. It almost works until Gary sees her latest one-night stand stretching in his man thong.
An exasperated Maddie rollerblades to work as a bartender at a boat dock. She refuses to serve a wealthy tourist mere minutes before opening. Maddie despises the rich New York City elites that descend on Montauk for the summer season. They’re the reason her property taxes are so high. Maddie has never left her hometown. She resolves to save her house at all cost. That means getting a car, because Maddie makes most of her living as an angry Uber driver for tourists.
Jennifer Lawrence as Maddie Barker
Sony Pictures
Her pregnant bestie (Natalie Morales) and dim-witted surfer husband (Scott MacArthur) find a solution on Craigslist — help a shy butterfly out of his cocoon and get a sweet Buick in return. But is Maddie willing to prostitute herself to an unexperienced virgin for a car? In a heartbeat, she’s debased herself dating losers before. How difficult could this be?
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Maddie rollerblades to a stunning mansion. Laird (Matthew Broderick) and Allison (Laura Benanti) Becker are very concerned about their son. 19-year-old Percy (Andrew Barth Feldman) has never had a girlfriend, or any friends for that matter. He just sits in his room playing video games. Percy doesn’t even have a driver’s license. How can he go to Princeton and succeed as a recluse? Maddie swears she’ll “date Percy hard.” His parents are overjoyed but warn that he can never learn the truth that they hired her.
No Hard Feelings initially takes its premise to comic glory. The rub is that Percy isn’t the normal raging hurricane of teen hormonal angst. Maddie’s blunt efforts to dive into his tighty-whities are quickly rebuffed. She’s gobsmacked that an ostensibly horny guy isn’t jumping at the chance to horizontal tango. Every dude she’s ever met couldn’t unzip their pants fast enough. The sensitive Percy finds her attractive but doesn’t want meaningless intercourse. His first time has to be with someone he loves. Maddie mistakes physical lust as the key to unlocking Percy’s personality. She needs to be his friend before becoming a lover.
An Unexpected First Date
Sony Pictures
Maddie’s a tough cookie that bulldozes to get her way, but runs like a rabbit at the first sign of real intimacy. She’s absolutely gorgeous. She can snare any heterosexual man with looks. Her problem is getting past a tough exterior. Percy shares this trait but isn’t strong or expressive. He’s a bullied kid with zero confidence. Dating a sexy woman who’s older than him wasn’t even conceivable. He wants to understand why she likes him, and isn’t just going to jump in the sack. Lawrence and Feldman have good screen chemistry. They become more convincing as the characters establish a genuine connection.
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No Hard Feelings gets solid chuckles on flipping the age script. You rarely see an unabashed sex comedy about a younger man pursued by a woman older than he is. The second phase of Maddie’s plan involves real dating. She gets rough comeuppance from younger women. Percy’s peers can’t believe he’s hanging out with “a cougar.” This is laughable in itself as Lawrence is barely over 30. But the cruel barbs of social media and taunting are hurtful regardless. Maddie gets a taste of what Percy went through in high school. She realizes why he’s so timid and unsure of himself.
Provocative Shtick
No Hard Feelings loses comedic steam in the third act. This is by design as the film attempts a more thoughtful turn. The provocative sex shtick makes way for hurt feelings and an obvious resolve. Percy has a predictable reaction to her deception. Maddie, of course, grows a heart and conscience after her amorous pursuit. She’s fond of Percy and concerned for him. It would have been more interesting to take a different tack at this point. Percy has a degree of sophistication. Imagine if he guessed her motivations, knew this was all too good to be true, but went for the ride to perhaps find himself.
Two aspects of the film won my favor early. Jennifer Lawrence goes full tilt on the physical comedy. She doesn’t hold back from the risqué aspects of her character. A naked fight scene will have you in stitches. There’s also a rocking Hall & Oates soundtrack that ’80s fans will adore. I’m still listening to “Maneater” while writing this review.
No Hard Feelings is a production of Columbia Pictures, Saks Picture Company, Odenkirk Provissiero Entertainment, and Excellent Cadaver. It will have a June 23rd theatrical release from Sony Pictures.
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