Writer/Directors
Abby Kohn and Marc Silverstein

Stars
Amy Schumer, Michelle Williams and Busy Philipps

If you’ve always wondered what would happen if an average looking woman developed all the confidence of mediocre white man, then I Feel Pretty is the movie for you.

Amy Schumer’s latest offering tells the story of Renee Bennett, an unremarkable 30 something with very little self-esteem to speak of. Working for an elitist beauty product company in their off-site online division, Renee dreams of being a Receptionist at their head office, a role she believes she is not attractive enough to land. After hitting her head in a freak spin class accident, Renee suddenly believes that she is ‘beautiful’ and starts putting her previously unrealised dreams into motion. In a nutshell, it’s a reverse Shallow Hal that focuses on inner self-love, rather loving someone else for who they are and not what they look like.

There was some criticism before this movie came out about its premise, with people arguing that it sends the wrong message about how we view women and ‘beauty’.  I personally put a lot of that down to the fact that we live in an age where people aren’t happy unless they’re offended or outraged by something. It also smacks of idealistic notions that humans are above judging a person on their appearance, which unfortunately is a very real part of the world we live in. Do attractive people have advantages in life that the rest of us don’t? Of course they do, so why try to pretend otherwise. Critics are claiming that I Feel Pretty makes Amy Schumer out to be unattractive (which it doesn’t) and that portraying ordinary women as ‘ugly’ is harmful to self-image. The movie doesn’t say that she’s ugly or fat or anything else, just that she’s average. She’s not stick thin, she’s not drop dead gorgeous; she’s an every woman with low self-esteem. The message that it’s trying to deliver is that confidence is sexy and it can get you just as far (if not further) than just a pretty face.

I think there are some really positive messages to take out of the film, however the movie as a whole suffers a little bit from its advertising. It does seem to have shown its best bits in its previews, most of the big laughs are the ones we know are coming. There is still a lot of good humour throughout though, particularly in the scenes between Renee and her awkward IT colleague Mason, but it could have done more in the comedy stakes. This is definitely Schumer’s most likeable role, after her awkward and abrasive turns in Trainwreck and Snatched but her character at times lacks the depth that makes you really love her.

Overall however, I Feel Pretty is a light, enjoyable feel good rom-com that is good without being the ground breaker that it could have been.

3 stars

Moviedoc thanks Entertainment One for the invite to the screening of this film.

Reviewed by Jell for Moviedoc

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