In exchange for dating Percy, Maddie receives exactly what she needs as an uber driver who recently had their car repossessed: a used Buick. lawrence enquires, "Do you mean date him or date him?" in the viral promotion for the movie. In response, Broderick advises, "Date him hard." It seems like an easy enough arrangement, but Maddie's humorous attempts to woo the awkward Percy fail miserably. And in a manner that is frequently seen in rom-coms, these two eccentrics develop a surprising friendship that brings out the best in each of them. This kind of narrative has been told before, and towards the conclusion, you can predict the outcome. But to the movie's credit, it really is impossible to guess how it will get there.
No Hard Feelings, which references successes like American Pie and Superbad, is modeled after the filthy slapstick comedies that were popular in the 2000s. However, it's crucial to recognize how pop culture and cultural expectations have evolved since that time. The humorous sensibilities of that era are reflected in characters like Finch (Eddie Kaye Thomas) in American Pie, who is applauded for sleeping with his own best buddy Stifler's mother (Jennifer Coolidge). No Hard Feelings' strategy makes use of Feldman's innocent demeanor and stereotypically introverted pastimes (such as playing the piano, playing video games, and volunteering at an animal shelter). Percy is the overachiever who took pleasure in his invisibility and was tormented in school. It's understandable why he ultimately gives in to Maddie's tenacity. He says yes to every ridiculous scenario that is put in front of him since he lacks social skills, with the exception of when a gorgeous woman is there, of course.
No Hard Feelings initially gives the impression that Percy is the sweetie while Maddie is the pursuer, reversing the traditional gender roles of the past. There is nothing "normal" about this circumstance, and the movie makes a point of recognizing that, frequently by using direct, abrasive, laugh-out-loud humor. The fact that Maddie is 32 and Percy is 19 makes the age gap between them quite difficult to ignore. We can all agree that it would appear awful if it were the other way around. At first, Percy rejects the majority of her overtures, and at one point, he hilariously flips out because he believes she is attempting to abduct him.
Without Jennifer Lawrence's impeccable comic timing, the moral line in No Hard Feelings would have been almost irrevocably crossed. It's unfortunate that it took so long for her to appear in such a ridiculous comedy. Even Lawrence's physical humor will astound viewers and her strongest supporters. On their first date, Maddie attempts to get Percy to go skinny swimming but instead finds herself chasing after several kids trying to steal their clothing while completely nude. No Hard Feelings nails this scene in spades for some of the funniest chuckles of the whole film since it is one of the most chaotic and crazy ones ever.
No Hard Feelings takes on the movie office with a humorous tale that you simply must see to believe in an era of reboots and remakes. The idea for the movie was inspired by a real Craigslist post that producers Marc Provissiero and Naomi Odenkirk forwarded to director Gene Stupnitsky, but it almost falls apart under the weight of its own madness. They took a big chance by making such an explicit comedy, and it probably wouldn't have succeeded if Jennifer lawrence and Andrew Barth Feldman hadn't been the perfect team. The pair solidifies their status as comedic gold.
This fun summer comedy is exactly what many lovers of the genre are hoping for, with the exception of the age gap that the movie barely gets away with and some offensive gender stereotypes.
Ratings: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐