Recensioni de* critic*

[A] sporadically amusing but instantly forgettable romp. The unstoppable force of Lawrence’s charisma notwithstanding, this is not so much tasteless, just a bit bland.

The setup is a bit contrived, seemingly positioning the movie as a raunchy studio romp that’ll help Hollywood return to its American Pie glory days. But the resulting film is more goofy and sweet than obscene. No Hard Feelings is not about to usher in a new era in mainstream sex comedies—it is, however, a delightful showcase for Lawrence’s movie-star verve.

No Hard Feelings is a perfect example of how the best kind of onscreen chemistry is fundamentally unquantifiable... We never quite know where their relationship is headed... and we care for them not because of their backstories but because they seem bound to each other... For all its breeziness, No Hard Feelings stays with you because its central dynamic feels so surprisingly honest.

The longer you watch No Hard Feelings’ comedic sure things inevitably turning into misfires, the more cynical and angry you’ll find yourself becoming. Lawrence is bringing so much to the table, working double time to make the double-entendre dialogue work and make this screw-up worthy of sympathy... that you want the movie to support her performance, instead of the other way around.

This relaxed, agreeable comedy... works because the stars make it work, and the premise — a little hoary — doesn’t sweat the logic part. Lawrence has fantastic timing and a kind of take-it-or-leave-it confidence that energizes a formulaic comedy.

[The film] could easily have become a bawdy R-rated comedy with lots of over-the-top situations, and there’s some of that. Yet “No Hard Feelings” (a generic title that also indicates the studio didn’t really quite get what they had here) also has a poignant side in exploring the odd friendship that develops between these two characters, each damaged in different ways.

Overall, No Hard Feelings is a breezy, welcome return to the sex comedy, even if it’s a bit more tempered than it would have you think. It’s a breath of fresh air that hopefully signals a change for the better, bolder, and filthier in mainstream cinema.

Stupnitsky’s film has a kinder, gentler tone and intent than its logline suggests. No Hard Feelings is a nice comedy, courting taboo here and there but largely rounded out with sweetness. It’s an amiable time at the movies—but I was hoping for more of a shock.

Through [No Hard Feelings], you never doubt that Lawrence is game for anything, but this willingness to go all-in has been wasted on gross-out gags that are more often than not cringey and desperate in their calculation than funny or transgressive.

[Lawrence] is game to take on the physical humiliations of the genre... But the film is also tame, [and the] relative prudishness might come from producers unsure if the audience is ready to dive back into the stomach-churning side of sex comedies... If No Hard Feelings lacks outrageousness and transgression, it is surprisingly nuanced and sensitive.

Perhaps the demand for super low-stakes, “turn your brain off” studio comedies where the only point is cathartic laughter will one day return. It brings this writer no joy to report that No Hard Feelings isn’t the film to usher in that era.

In its quieter moments, No Hard Feelings gestures towards real emotion. More often than not, though, it gets sidetracked by chaotic set pieces... working Lawrence’s knack for slapstick to the funny bone. It’s fleeting fun, when a bit more honesty and candor might have made it her answer to Young Adult.