As we discussed on Monday, Amy Schumer has come a long way in a short period of time, in terms of her A-list status. This week, she gets another starring vehicle in I Feel Pretty, which plays with Schumer’s persona in an interesting way. With the embargo up, I can say that I found the movie rather charming. Schumer is unafraid to poke fun at herself, but she also manages to make this a film about female confidence. Where things ultimately end up helps make this a bit of popcorn cinema with a worthy message found within its center. Consider me charmed.
The film, as I wrote a few days ago, is a new comedy for the actress to sink her teeth into. According to IMDb and STX Films, this is the plot: “In I FEEL PRETTY a woman who struggles with feelings of deep insecurity and low self-esteem, that hold her back everyday, wakes from a brutal fall in an exercise class believing she is suddenly a supermodel. With this newfound confidence she is empowered to live her life fearlessly and flawlessly, but what will happen when she realizes her appearance never changed?” Schumer stars as Renee Bennett, the woman to whom this all happens. Initially, she’s timid and intimidated by all the women she feels are more beautiful in the world. Her friends Jane (Busy Philipps) and Vivian (Aidy Bryant) love her as is, but when the accident happens, Renee starts seeing her own self worth. From there, the sky is the limit. Along for the ride with Schumer in I Feel Pretty are co-stars Dave Attell, Naomi Campbell, Nikki Glaser, Tom Hopper, Lauren Hutton, Adrian Martinez, Emily Ratajkowski, Rory Scovel, and even Michelle Williams, who is delightfully odd. The movie is co-written and co-directed by Abby Kohn and Marc Silverstein. It’s a cute flick, one that aims to please and definitely succeeds.
I really enjoyed this movie and the message it was offering up. Schumer plays a bit more vulnerable than usual, while Williams gets to let loose in a really silly supporting role that actually works really well here. The flick gets laughs out of Schumer insisting she’s a model type, but it never forgets that confidence is a good thing. At the same time, there’s an awareness that you can’t just go through life on one level. It’s never super complex, but it works. Schumer deserves credit for another nice performance that showcases how good of an actress she really is.
This is how I would rank Schumer’s five performances so far:
5. Thank You For Your Service
4. Snatched
3. Price Check
2. I Feel Pretty
1. Trainwreck
As a bonus, here are the ten best performances by Williams to date:
10. I Feel Pretty
9. Meek’s Cutoff
8. All the Money in the World
7. My Week with Marilyn
6. Imaginary Heroes
5. Brokeback Mountain
4. Wendy and Lucy
3. Take This Waltz
2. Manchester by the Sea
1. Blue Valentine
On Friday, I Feel Pretty opens, hoping to be yet another feather in Schumer’s cap. The movie is more than good enough to do that, with the added bonus of it really painting a nice picture for its audience. It’s not on the level of Trainwreck (though few things are), but I Feel Pretty is a better vehicle for Schumer than Snatched, enjoyable as that action comedy was. If you’re a fan of Schumer (or even a fan of Williams, as she’s doing something really different here), this should more than be up your alley. I remain very eager to see what she opts to do next…
Be sure to check out I Feel Pretty, in theaters everywhere this weekend!
