No Hard Feelings ***

 

It has been obvious that Jennifer Lawrence is an amazing actress since 2010's "Winter's Bone." The 20-yr-old displayed a range and level of maturity beyond her years in that film, and she has confirmed her genius in follow-ups like "Silver Linings Playbook," "American Hustle," and the "Hunger Games" films. It should come as no surprise, then, that she is able to take a silly, forgettable comedy like “No Hard Feelings” and elevate it above its genre.

Lawrence plays Maddie, an irresponsible, hot mess with limited career prospects who has burned through all the available men in her small town. She responds to an ad from a couple of concerned parents looking for someone to “date” their shy, virginal, adult son. Maddie promises to “date the shit” out of the young man in exchange for a car.

You can pretty much guess the rest of the story. There have been a million of these “nerdy guy dates hot girl” movies. “No Hard Feelings” doesn't really distinguish itself from the other offerings in this genre, but it does manage to be entertaining, largely on the charms of Jennifer Lawrence. She has good comic timing, and with the help of a supporting cast that is at least competent, she turns a hackneyed story into a fun bit of comedy.

3 stars out of 5