MOVIE OF THE WEEK (4/20/1): I FEEL PRETTY
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| "Out of my way – I'm reaching for the rest of that money from my Comedy Central and Netflix residuals!" Renee (Amy Schumer) in a scene from STX Entertainment's body-positive comedy I FEEL PRETTY. Credit: Mark Schafer; Motion Picture Artwork. © 2017 STX Financing, LLC. All rights reserved. |
KEY CAST MEMBERS: Amy Schumer, Rory Scovel, Emily Ratajowski, Aidy Bryant, Busy Phillips and Tom Hopper with Naomi Campbell and Lauren Hutton
WRITER(S): Abby Kohn and Marc Silverstein
DIRECTOR(S): Abby Kohn and Marc Silverstein
WEB SITE: https://www.ifeelpretty.movie/
HERE'S THE STORY: Renee Bennett (Amy Schumer) is like many of us – unsatisfied with her physical situation in life, she wishes she was a prettier woman. After all, pretty women have it made in life in her view – which is why when she bumps into people like Mallory (Emily Ratajowski) – at the gym, it makes her feel even worse. Sure, her friends Vivian (Aidy Bryant) and Jane (Busy Phillips) are comfortable being who they are, but Renee wishes she could be one of the pretty people.
Then she watches a very famous movie that inspires her to make a wish ... And then she has an accident. And when she wakes up, her wish has come true ... Kinda. For you see, while Renee thinks she now looks like a model, she still looks exactly the same – the only thing that has changed is her outlook on life as now, the "new" Renee is full of undeniable, infectious confidence that catches the attention of everyone around her, especially Avery Leclaire (Michelle Williams), the leader of cosmetics empire Lily Leclaire – not to mention the real Lily Leclaire herself (Lauren Hutton).
But as the new Renee adjusts to a new life on Madison Avenue and a new love interest in Ethan (stand-up comic turned actor Rory Scovel), will she come to learn that beauty is just skin deep before she forgets who she truly is inside?
HERE'S THE STORY: Renee Bennett (Amy Schumer) is like many of us – unsatisfied with her physical situation in life, she wishes she was a prettier woman. After all, pretty women have it made in life in her view – which is why when she bumps into people like Mallory (Emily Ratajowski) – at the gym, it makes her feel even worse. Sure, her friends Vivian (Aidy Bryant) and Jane (Busy Phillips) are comfortable being who they are, but Renee wishes she could be one of the pretty people.
Then she watches a very famous movie that inspires her to make a wish ... And then she has an accident. And when she wakes up, her wish has come true ... Kinda. For you see, while Renee thinks she now looks like a model, she still looks exactly the same – the only thing that has changed is her outlook on life as now, the "new" Renee is full of undeniable, infectious confidence that catches the attention of everyone around her, especially Avery Leclaire (Michelle Williams), the leader of cosmetics empire Lily Leclaire – not to mention the real Lily Leclaire herself (Lauren Hutton).
But as the new Renee adjusts to a new life on Madison Avenue and a new love interest in Ethan (stand-up comic turned actor Rory Scovel), will she come to learn that beauty is just skin deep before she forgets who she truly is inside?
WHO WILL LIKE THIS FILM THE MOST? Amy Schumer fans; the body positive movement; people who can relate to the desire to have the world at your proverbial beckon call; those waiting to see Schumer flex her acting muscles in something slightly different than her usual stand-up persona.
WHO WON'T (OR SHOULDN'T) LIKE THIS MOVIE? Amy Schumer haters; people who don't like anything that they feel promotes being plus-sized and it being ok if it's not healthy medically; those who can't buy into the movie's premise.
SO IS IT GOOD, BAD OR JUST AWFUL? A strong rebound from the debacle that was Snatched, I Feel Pretty is a solid, entertaining film that features a positive message without being preachy with enough solid laughter and heart to make it palatable from start to finish.
Schumer really does a 180 in I Feel Pretty, playing a character that is flawed yet extremely both likable and relatable. This is key to the film's success, for as opposed to playing a character that's all sass and brass as she did in her first two films, Renee is her most down-to-earth character yet, which makes her switch once she has her accident even more intriguing. In playing a woman who is confident under false pretenses, she actually reveals the confidence many people let alone just women had in their everyday lives.
Her swagger, her confidence, her carefree nature may be delivered under the mindset of a woman who expects everyone to fawn over her because of her looks, but the way other people respond to her is the message of the film ... Which then delivers a nice follow-up when she starts to act like a four-legged dog to everyone and then learns how the old adage of "be careful of what you wish for" applies to "hot" women, too.
Making things equally fun is a strong, subtle performance by Scovel as Ethan, a man who's own insecurities are played out in subtle fashion to play well against those of Schumer's character while Bryant and Phillips serve as strong supporting characters in smaller yet critical roles. The most surprising performance actually may belong to a nearly unrecognizable Michelle Williams as Avery, a high-pitched style diva-in-training who's character evolves along nicely as the story progresses. All the characters in I Feel Pretty have a similar story arc, a rarity in a comedy of this type that actually makes you feel good as its characters learn to do the same in their own lives.
Say what you want about Schumer, but, as I Feel Pretty proves, everyone can learn that while someone else's life may look appealing, gaining confidence in one's self – and being entertaining in the process – is the key to a happy life.
SO IS IT GOOD, BAD OR JUST AWFUL? A strong rebound from the debacle that was Snatched, I Feel Pretty is a solid, entertaining film that features a positive message without being preachy with enough solid laughter and heart to make it palatable from start to finish.
Schumer really does a 180 in I Feel Pretty, playing a character that is flawed yet extremely both likable and relatable. This is key to the film's success, for as opposed to playing a character that's all sass and brass as she did in her first two films, Renee is her most down-to-earth character yet, which makes her switch once she has her accident even more intriguing. In playing a woman who is confident under false pretenses, she actually reveals the confidence many people let alone just women had in their everyday lives.
Her swagger, her confidence, her carefree nature may be delivered under the mindset of a woman who expects everyone to fawn over her because of her looks, but the way other people respond to her is the message of the film ... Which then delivers a nice follow-up when she starts to act like a four-legged dog to everyone and then learns how the old adage of "be careful of what you wish for" applies to "hot" women, too.
Making things equally fun is a strong, subtle performance by Scovel as Ethan, a man who's own insecurities are played out in subtle fashion to play well against those of Schumer's character while Bryant and Phillips serve as strong supporting characters in smaller yet critical roles. The most surprising performance actually may belong to a nearly unrecognizable Michelle Williams as Avery, a high-pitched style diva-in-training who's character evolves along nicely as the story progresses. All the characters in I Feel Pretty have a similar story arc, a rarity in a comedy of this type that actually makes you feel good as its characters learn to do the same in their own lives.
Say what you want about Schumer, but, as I Feel Pretty proves, everyone can learn that while someone else's life may look appealing, gaining confidence in one's self – and being entertaining in the process – is the key to a happy life.
OVERALL RATING (OUT OF FOUR POSSIBLE BUCKETS OF POPCORN):
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