Review: 'No Hard Feelings' a Surprisingly Sweet Comedy

Raunchy sex comedies were popular in the late 1970s and 1980s ("Animal House," "Fast Times at Ridgemont High," "Revenge of the Nerds," "Risky Business") as well as in the 1990s and 2000s ("American Pie" and "The 40-Year-Old Virgin"). Jennifer Lawrence stars in "No Hard Feelings," a surprisingly sweet comedy.

Lawrence has proven her acting prowess and charisma both in independent movies, such as the excellent, emotionally wrenching films "Winter's Bone" and "Causeway," as well as blockbusters like "The Hunger Games" and "X-Men" series. While she typically stars in dramatic roles, "No Hard Feelings" gives her the opportunity to show off her deft comedic abilities.

Directed by Gene Stupnitsky ("Good Boys") and written by Stupnitsky and John Phillips ("Bad Teacher"), Jennifer Lawrence stars as Maddie, a bartender and Uber driver who lives in her childhood home in Montauk, NY. When property taxes threaten to cause her to lose her home, she accepts in an ad placed by two parents (Matthew Broderick, Laura Benanti) to date their shy son Percy (Andrew Barth Feldman), unbeknownst to him, in hopes of bringing him out of his shell.

It's a gross premise, considering the age difference between them – Maddie is 32; Percy is 19 – that strips Percy of his agency as he didn't hire her, his parents did; yet, the film simultaneously respects sex work.

Maddie comes on strong with seduction, wearing a tight dress and firing off double entendres, asking Percy to "touch his wiener," referring to the dog he holds at the animal shelter where he volunteers. As they spend time together and get to know each other, they share a sweet rapport, becoming friends.

Jennifer Lawrence gives a captivating and hilarious performance as brash Maddie. Andrew Barth Feldman is delightful as sensitive, shy Percy. It's refreshing to see a respectful guy who retains his sensitivity and doesn't want to be someone different. But with Maddie's encouragement, he learns to take chances. Through her conversations with Percy and her friend Sarah (Natalie Morales), Maddie realizes she lets fear hold her back from pursuing her dreams.

The ribald humor is lightly raunchy with sex-centered dialogue, but we don't see much on screen, aside from a ridiculously funny scene of a naked Maddie pursuing teens stealing her clothes while skinny-dipping. While some intended humor involving Maddie accidentally punched in the throat and maced in the face didn't strike me as funny, other moments had me laughing out loud at the frankness or absurdity.

When meeting Percy's parents, Maddie asks them if Percy doesn't have a girlfriend because he's gay. While he's straight, I appreciated that she at least asked the question, as too many films express compulsive heteronormativity and don't even bother to acknowledge that queer people exist. In a scene at a party, Maddie makes a homophobic joke, and she's immediately called out for it.

"No Hard Feelings" broaches a class commentary, which I really appreciate, about how rich tourists vacation on Montauk while locals financially struggle with the looming threat of being pushed out of their homes. Maddie is trying to keep her childhood home, which her mother left her after she died. One of the supporting characters suggests she "use" the rich, since they use them. The film doesn't make any conclusions or grand statements (not that it necessarily needs to, considering it's a comedy) but rather focuses on the rapport between Maddie and Percy and their individual growth as characters.

While Maddie expresses grief over her mother's death, the film includes Maddie's issues with her absent father. It's an arguably sexist trope that a woman's absent father automatically causes problems with men. The "problem" the film poses is that Maddie likes sex, which isn't a problem at all. She has close friends but chooses not to get romantically attached, preferring casual hookups. For a film focusing on sex – and that thankfully includes conversations about consent and condoms – its lack of sex positivity feels regressive. Despite these facile writing issues, Maddie feels like a developed character thanks to Jennifer Lawrence.

The heartfelt, funny performances by Jennifer Lawrence and Andrew Barth Feldman elevate "No Hard Feelings," a surprisingly sweet, brash, and irreverent comedy.

"No Hard Feelings" opens in theaters on Friday, June 23, 2023.