By Liz Lopez
Rating: C+
The crisis of confidence is real for so many people – men and women – and it can happen at any age, but more and more it seems to effect the young population of females growing up in today’s society. The new feature film, “I Feel Pretty,” by the writing/directing team Abby Kohn and Marc Silverstein have created a very humorous story about a young woman who works for a beauty company and suffers from low self-esteem, yet she has aspirations to move up from a “basement” office to the shiny, high end headquarters where everything and everyone glitters, shimmers and is rail thin. Amy Schumer stars as Renee, the pretty, but at times awkward blond who is not a size “zero” and continuously receives unpleasant, unfriendly looks from fellow employees or people in public places. Her obsession with beauty and belief that she does not have it runs through the film and ends less than two hours later with her life changed drastically and every issue resolved.
While Amy Schumer is hilarious in so many scenes after a head injury has caused her to believe she now looks like a supermodel, I recommend viewing the film for a few laughs with a few friends and then start the real conversation about the seriousness of the issue at hand. The reality is how much money do we really spend on beauty products (including hair color and anti-aging items), diets, or even plastic surgery for those who find the dollars to correct what they think is a “flaw.” How about the issue of bullying tactics by adults or minors when they select a person to target for their looks and the resulting mental health issues or suicides?
It is not as easy as “Change your mind, change your life” as Luna (Angela M. Davis) yells out in the film during the workout sessions in the gym. For some people, it does take more than that.
Renee’s personality changes as well with her head trauma that she does not share with her best friends, Jane (Busy Philipps) and Vivian (Aidy Bryant). That alone is an epic failure, aside from the unacceptable behavior and this causes a huge breakdown between them. There are very few best or good friends who do not share this type of thing with their friends, so it makes me doubt the sincerity of Renee’s friendship, even if the screenwriters are expecting viewers to buy into it.
I absolutely enjoyed the performances by the beauty company boss, Lily LeClair (Lauren Hutton) and her granddaughter with a high pitched voice, Avery (Michelle Williams). Both are great casting choices! Adrian Martinez (“Office Christmas Party,” “Inside Amy Schumer”) stars as Mason, Renee’s co -worker in the basement office, who uses his acting chops during the screen time he is allotted.
After viewing “I Feel Pretty,” I am now a fan of standup comedian Rory Scovel. His performance as Ethan (in his leading man debut) is perfect for Renee, who he meets while she thinks she is hot babe. His insecurities start to fade away after meeting the now self confident blond. You watch him fall in love and it feels so right. Kudos to the screenwriters and casting director, and Rory for the great performance!
The film is rated PG-13 for sexual content, some partial nudity, and language.
Source: STX Films