I remember watching trailers for He’s Just Not That Into You and Valentine’s Day, thinking both would be a laugh-out-loud riot – but neither were.
The writer/directing partners behind those disappointing comedies are the filmmakers that have produced Amy Schumer’s (Trainwreck) latest flick.
Given their past credentials, I went into my screening with reservations.
I Feel Pretty tells the story of Renee, a New Yorker who suffers from low self-esteem on a daily basis.
She feels that she doesn’t belong within the beauty company she works for. So when a new position pops up within the organisation, Renee feels she wouldn’t stand a chance due to the conventionally beautiful people that previously had the role.
One evening, she is watching the classic Tom Hanks film, Big. This of course is relevant as it tells the story of someone that transforms into an alternative version of themself – that just so happens to flourish at work because of it.
I’m sure you can see where I’m going with this . . . yes, the next day, Renee bangs her head and from that moment is convinced she is the most beautiful woman in the world – with a new-found confidence coming with it.
My main issue is that the film’s message is not the strongest. For example, Shallow Hal tells us that we shouldn’t laugh at ‘overweight’ people while making jokes about ‘overweight’ people. Much like that film, the message here is that you shouldn’t laugh at people who are not ‘conventionally pretty’ while making jokes about people who are not ‘conventionally pretty’.
If you can get over the contradictions, this is actually quite an enjoyable film. There are times when the jokes sway towards mean-spirited but mostly, it’s light-hearted fun.
Coming after recently watching the heart-pounding action-filled Avengers: Infinity War – this provided a nice change of pace.
And with quite a few noteworthy ‘belly laugh’ moments Schumer continues to build her Hollywood resume after the impressive Trainwreck – and this comedy keeps her firmly on the rails.
Mikey Clarke
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Cast: Amy Schumer, Michelle Williams, Tom Hopper, Emily Ratajkowski, Adrian Martinez, Aidy Bryant & Lauren Hutton
Running Time: 1 Hr 50 Mins
Directors: Abby Kohn & Marc Silverstein
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