“Can I touch your wiener?”
After a string of classic and utterly quotable sex comedies that seemed to totally dominate the late-90s through the 2000s (the American Pie series, The 40-Year-Old-Virgin, Sex Drive, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and countless more!), movies that possess that ridiculous and raunchy energy are few and far between these days (though there are a few in recent memory that have tried and failed to achieve this). But No Hard Feelings, starring and produced by Jennifer Lawrence and helmed by Good Boys director Gene Stupnitsky, feels like a near revival of those classic comedies as it is very reminiscent of them in almost every aspect while also managing to surprise you in its own ways.
On the verge of losing the house that she grew up in due to the ridiculous rise of property taxes in her neighborhood, the unabashed Maddie (Lawrence) becomes increasingly desperate to find a way to save the house, especially after her car is repossessed, severely hindering her already-modest income. Searching online for a cheap car, she comes across an ad from a wealthy couple (Matthew Broderick and Laura Benati) who are looking to recruit to “date” their 19-year-old, introverted son, Percy (Andrew Barth Feldman), in exchange for a car. But perhaps this task won’t have the quick-and-easy result that Maddie had in mind…
I don’t think I need to sit here and remind you of the breadth of Jennifer Lawrence’s innate talent, but putting on an absolutely amazing comedic performance as the desperate and promiscuous Maddie only serves to further prove her status as one of the best actors of her generation. Put through the comedic wringer, she impressively executes even the most ludicrous situations from getting punched in the throat at a high school party to getting maced in the face. And she also may or may not be involved in a hysterical nude fight scene at a beach. All of which is a testament to her committed fearlessness that is nothing short of amazing. And for his part (though Lawrence undoubtedly carries the film and has the best lines and scenes) Feldman does well to keep up with a funny and endearing performance.
It really does feel like it has been a while since we’ve had a genuinely good summer comedy that manages to be consistently hilarious with its raunchiness and amazing comedic performances. And No Hard Feelings does exactly that and more. As it is also able to mix in the coming-of-age genre, this movie will surprise you with its very touching emotional core that does not feel contrived in the slightest. In fact, it only adds to the quality of this pleasant and lovable rom-com. More new comedies should aspire to be this good. And yes, we need Jennifer Lawrence in more comedies ASAP!
No Hard Feelings is now playing in theaters.
Blu-ray + Digital HD
Home Video Distributor: Sony Picture Home Entertainment
Available on Blu-ray - August 29, 2023
Screen Formats: 1.85:1
Subtitles: English, English SDH, French, Spanish
Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1; French: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1; Spanish: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Discs: Blu-ray Disc; single disc
Region Encoding: Locked to Region A
Fortunately for blu-ray and comedy lovers, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment treats its Blu-ray + Digital edition of No Hard Feelings with plenty of feeling.
This single disc, bare-bones cardboard slip-covered eco-case edition includes the 1080p transfer of the film, English, French, Spanish language 5.1 audio tracks, and a couple of EPK-type bonus features with an outtakes and bloopers reel.
Video
There are no hard feelings from us with the quality of the 1080p 1.85 transfer that is always bright, clean, sharp, and crisp throughout.
This is certainly not a film you want to feature from your collection as an example of what blu-ray is all about. It's just not that type of film. Regardless, it's a beautiful transfer that highlights the bright colors, details of clothing, and the attention-grabbing production design.
While its degree of difficulty certainly isn't very high, we have no complaints on the video side of the presentation.
Audio
Accompanying the feature film are DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 tracks for English, English SDH, French, and Spanish language tracks of the film.
While there aren't very many "wow" moments in a film such as this, we were pleasantly surprised by the ambient accuracy of directional sound that represented many of the film's more busy scenes. Particularly party scenes. Nice touch!
As expected, the film's soundtrack becomes a main character and is always featured prominently while keeping those speakers active. Our personal fave Was Sniff 'n the Tears' Driver's Seat which kept us feeling alright!
Supplements:
As far as bonus material goes, Sony gets a little cheap on us with 4-minute outtakes reel, a 7-minute character featurette, and a 6-minute piece featuring cast discussing the making of an R-rated comedy.
Commentary:
- None
Special Features:
- Outtakes and Bloopers
- A Motley Crew: Meet the Characters
- A Little Wrong: Making No Hard Feelings
Movie | ||
Video | ||
Audio | ||
Extras | ||
Composite Blu-ray Grade
|
MPAA Rating: R.
Runtime: 103 mins
Director: Gene Stupnitsky
Writer: Gene Stupnitsky; John Phillips
Cast: Jennifer Lawrence; Andrew Barth Feldman; Laura Benanti
Genre: Comedy
Tagline: Pretty. Awkward.
Memorable Movie Quote: "Can I touch your weiner?"
Theatrical Distributor: Columbia Pictures
Official Site: https://www.facebook.com/NoHardFeelingsMovie
Release Date: June 23, 2023
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: August 29, 2023
Synopsis: Lawrence's character portrays the "ne'er-do-well" who answers a Craigslist ad that was placed to hire a date for an introverted and socially awkward teen boy, by his mother and father, who also just so happens to be preparing for college soon.