Movies with Isaiah: Raunchy romantic comedy returns in 'No Hard Feelings'

Great comedy has suffered in an extraordinary fashion within recent years. Looking back on the genre, there was a period when nothing was off limits when providing laughs. These days directors, writers, producers and even prominent comedians find themselves at a crossroads of treading a delicate line of wondering if the material will generate laughs or offend the audience.

I must admit that it's been a long time since I've watched a full-on comedy that made me laugh from beginning to end. I enjoy a combination of clever writing venturing into slapstick, dry or situational circumstances relying more on reaction, facial expressions and responses that create organic humor.

"No Hard Feelings," starring Jennifer Lawrence, Andrew Barth Feldman, Matthew Broderick and Laura Benanti, tells the story of Maddie (Lawrence), who is experiencing severe financial difficulties as an Uber driver and bartender. Facing the possibility of filing for bankruptcy and desperate for money, an unusual offer manifests with parents offering money and their vehicle, providing that a woman dates their son and breaks him out of his awkward shell. Of course, films of this concept have been made many times over, proving itself to be the standard formulaic approach. The interesting direction about this film is from a performance point of view, it's Lawrence's first comedic role. She rose to stardom with "The Hunger Games," portrayed Mystique in the latest "X-Men" series, secured dramatic roles that brought her an Academy Award and was in a couple of disturbing horror films in the process.

From her interviews, Lawrence appears to have a natural talent for comedy with her amusing and blunt responses to various questions. Where the film shined is the hilarious chemistry Lawrence has with Feldman, who portrays Percy Becker. He's the perfect representation of the anxiety-riddled, awkward, nerdy and sheltered soul of a young man who is clearly in way over his head and has no idea of how to approach a woman of seductive, outspoken and physical behavior.

"No Hard Feelings" brilliantly shines when the story is solely focused on their relationship. Utilizing her desperation to break Percy out of his shell, his sheltered personality always prevents him from going all the way through with certain acts. Director Gene Stupnitsky seemingly helmed a project testing the waters of bringing the raunchy romantic comedy back to the forefront. Throughout the course of the film, it became obvious the attempt to replicate the successful formula of the iconic "American Pie" cinematic series was on their mind. As I've mentioned before, comedy these days is a hard approach depending on the subject matter at hand.

This film is a predictable, straight-forward, entertaining concept that had me chuckling, smiling and laughing. And there's nothing wrong with approaching a story where the audience knows what to expect and has a great time with the presentation. Lawrence should absolutely become more involved in the comedy world, as she has a natural talent for the slapstick and dialogue delivery routine, similar to the likes of the late, great John Ritter, Robin Williams, Jim Carrey and the reserved nature of Jason Bateman or Charlie Day. I would love to see her branch more into that world, venturing away from the blockbuster and drama genre.

Feldman is a highlight in my opinion. He reminds me a lot of Jason Bateman, Bill Hader and Ed Helms. Overall, this film manages to bring back a familiar formula with its premise, and it works in its return to revitalizing the raunchy comedy story. It's not perfect, nor a masterpiece. However, it's a positive step in the right direction, and I had a great, entertaining and humorous time.

There was never a moment when the humor felt cringy, forced or contrived to the point of entering annoyance. I do recommend the feature given there's an audience for a film of this scope. There's a lot of profanity, obvious blatant sexual innuendo, nudity and minor drug use.

"No Hard Feelings" is not for children under any circumstances.

My final rating is a 9/10. It's been a very, very long time since I've watched a legitimate comedy that was truly enjoyable and funny. Two thumbs up and a nice change of pace in hopes of seeing more comedies of this nature becoming more consistent in the realm of cinema. There's clever writing, traditional slapstick and relatable experiences of refreshing charm and hilarity.

To watch Isaiah Ridley's movie reviews online, find him @Izzy's Cinematic Escape on YouTube.