Amy Schumer is well known for polarizing audiences. While some people love her comedy style, there are many who just do not like her. Nevertheless, Amy Schumer continues to do what she does best: entertain, even if her entertainment doesn’t appeal to everyone. And that can definitely be said about I Feel Pretty.
Throughout most of her movies and a number of her public activities, the Trainwreck star has been trying to send one thematic message: That a woman’s body size does not define who they are. Schumer’s latest movie, I Feel Pretty, which she produced and starred in, may be the first to successfully get her point across.
I Feel Pretty tells the story of an insecure woman who always wanted to be beautiful, but after hitting her head while trying to workout, she suddenly starts to see herself as the beautiful person she’s always wanted to be. Her confidence boosts and she trots around New York City acting as though she is the most beautiful woman in town, even though others do not see her this way. It’s a clever premise that is reminiscent of the classic tale of “The Emperor’s New Clothes.”
Unfortunately, despite having a clever premise, I Feel Pretty does not hold up as a great comedy. While it does have some funny moments, the theater was generally filled with awkward laughing from the audience rather than genuine, enjoyable laughter. There were many elements of I Feel Pretty that should’ve been absolutely hilarious, but the jokes did not land well. A majority of the comedy was formulatic, without the essential punch to finish off the joke.
Additionally, the overall acting in the movie did not help to enhance the comedy either. While Amy Schumer herself put on a good performance throughout, as she often does, the supporting cast of I Feel Pretty fell flat.
Even four-time Oscar-nominee Michelle Williams couldn’t manage to sell the acting in the movie. Williams’ character Avery LeClaire has an annoyingly high-pitched voice throughout. While Williams managed to keep her voice at that aggravatingly high level for the entire movie, it noticeably deterred her from giving an actually good performance. Whether this was a result of bad directing or all of Williams’ attention being averted to her own voice remains to be seen, but whatever the reason, her acting did not hold up.
What does manage to sell well for the movie, however, is the message, which is what I took away from the movie. Even though Amy Schumer isn’t seen as physically beautiful throughout the majority of the story by anyone except herself, her beauty starts to show through her confidence. By being proud and confident in herself, Amy Schumer’s character managed to find love, take new leaps in her career, and become more successful and happy than she ever thought she could be.
While the comedy isn’t always the strongest throughout, I Feel Pretty still holds up as a decent film because of its inspiring message. STXfilms‘ latest production is one I would recommend to anyone who may have self-esteem issues or just need a confidence boost. While I Feel Pretty may not need to be seen in theaters, it is at least worth a rental months down the road.