DVD Corner

No Hard Feelings Blu-ray Review

Hardly funny. 

Directed and co-written by Gene Stupnitsky and writer John Phillips, “No Hard Feelings” revolves around a 32 year old woman named Maddie who bartends and Ubers for a living in scenic Montauk, New York.. Maddie finds herself in a serious pickle after she loses her car and is on the verge of losing her house due to a lack of tax payments. In desperate need of money and a new car to make money, Maddie responds to an odd ad of parents wanting their socially awkward college bound son (Percy) to date and have sex in exchange for a Buick. At first, Maddie is merely trying to do her job, but things (and feelings) become complex between the two.

A raunchy R-rated sex comedy in this economy? Believe it. “No Hard Feelings” looks and feels like a movie from a bygone era. It’s clear the filmmakers wanted to mix things up with an edgy comedy that seems out of place in this current climate, but unfortunately, the movie tries too hard to be funny.

A comedy about asexuality, sex work, age gaps, opposites, and the haves and have nots sounds intriguing on paper, but Gene Stupnitsky and John Phillips botch the film’s potential from the get-go. The slapped together premise doesn’t fly, the comedy falls flat and any edginess the story has is diluted by the dramatic third act. In fact, the tone of the entire movie is wildly uneven. It wants to be a raunchy comedy, a drama, a coming-of-age story, a romance, and a live-action cartoon (see some of the over-the-top antics with Maddie) all in one, but it doesn’t mesh together. 

Thankfully, the leads salvage the movie from being a total disaster. Coming off the deeply emotional “Causeway,” a comedy seems like a peculiar move for Jennifer Lawrence, but it’s admirable to see her try something different and unexpected. To be fair, she is the best part of the movie and gives a bold and charismatic performance. Andrew Barth Feldman is a relative unknown, but he’s sure to be landing more roles after this. Not only does he give an authentic performance as the shy Percy, but he manages to have great chemistry with J-Law as well. In a movie where Lawrence has a big performance, Feldman manages to hold his own and deliver some rewarding character moments along the way. 

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 1.85:1 1080p. Grade: A-

Audio Track: 5.1 DTS-HD MA. Grade: A-

Extras:
* Digital copy
* Sony trailers
* Nearly 4 minutes of outtakes and bloopers
* “A Motley Crew: Meet The Characters” features cast and crew interviews.
* “A Little Wrong: Making No Hard Feelings”- A making of featurette with film clips, set footage, cast and crew interviews, and story/character discussions.

August 29, 2023 - Posted by nicklyons1 | Blu-Ray review | Comedy Movie, Jennifer Lawrence, No Hard Feelings Blu-ray Review