I Feel Pretty (2018) Review
4:30 AM
Change everything...without changing anything.
I Feel Pretty is the directing debut from writing duo Abby Kohn and Marc Silverstein (How to Be Single). The film stars Amy Schumer (Trainwreck), Michelle Williams (Manchester by the Sea), Rory Scovel (Those Who Can't) and Emily Ratajkowski (We Are Your Friends). "A woman struggling with insecurity wakes from a fall believing she is the most beautiful and capable woman on the planet. Her new confidence empowers her to live fearlessly, but what happens when she realizes her appearance never changed?". Trainwreck was pretty great but Snatched was not as impressive...will Schumer's third feature film be a return to form?
2015 was the year I became a fan of Amy Schumer. After seeing (and enjoying!) Trainwreck, I made sure I got a ticket to see her stand-up show when it came to London in 2016 and watched Inside Amy Schumer weekly. The world has since turned on Amy Schumer...but I am still here. Last year's Snatched was a weak second project for Schumer; while I did not hate the film, it had lots of flaws. Despite wanting to love I Feel Pretty, I have to report (with regret) that it is on the very same level as Snatched: another occasionally funny film that wastes its interesting premise. The audience of middle-aged women laughed throughout though so it could potentially be a crowd-pleaser. For me, I like Schumer so I had a fun time watching the film...but it should have been much better.
I Feel Pretty isn't disappointing because of Schumer, it is disappointing because the script, written by Kohn and Silverstein, rarely gives Schumer the opportunity to be hilarious. This is the first feature film that Kohn and Silverstein have directed and honestly, it has been a long time since I watched such a visually uninspired and forgettable directorial debut. This was their chance to make a big impression but Kohn and Silverstein fail miserably. If I Feel Pretty is remembered in the future, it will be remembered for its leading lady rather than the directing duo who made the film. Anyone tasked with a female comedy is lucky that the sub-genre has an established set of codes and conventions. Somehow, Kohn and Silverstein are unable to follow them (and that is not because they are attempting to be subversive, it is clear they are trying to abide by genre conventions). The sets and cinematography are incredibly ordinary and I Feel Pretty often feels cheap.
Kohn and Silverstein also struggle to execute the film's high-concept premise. The writing/directing duo would have made an excellent short film version of I Feel Pretty, but I think a Judd Apatow or Paul Feig was needed to really get the most out of the premise. After the first 45 minutes, it becomes clear that Kohn and Silverstein have run out of ideas; they have to continue making up story points and comedy sketches to fill another 45 minutes of screentime before Schumer's Renee hits her head again and returns to her 'normal' self. I Feel Pretty is a 110-minute film, it could have easily been condensed down to 90 minutes and would have been much more enjoyable; less unnecessary moments and a more focused plot. To Kohn and Silverstein's credit, they have made a film with an important and powerful message. This is realised by a wonderful and moving monologue delivered by Schumer at the end of the film. Even though Renee's words are touching and important, I was waiting for this moment for the entire film; it was obvious there was going to be a speech like this at some point. Kohn and Silverstein's script is not compelling enough to sustain a 110-minute film, but they clearly had good intentions and the final product is serviceable.
It sounds like I really disliked I Feel Pretty, doesn't it? Even though I did not love it, I enjoyed watching this film and that is mostly because of Amy Schumer. Controversially, I find Amy Schumer incredibly likable and her performance as Renee should be up there with her Golden Globe-nominated performance in Trainwreck. Schumer is convincingly insecure and self-conscious and then a few scenes later, she exudes confidence. It takes a talented actor to play a role with such contrasting personalities and Schumer does it with finesse. Schumer's Renee is a complex character, both intentionally and non-intentionally. Renee represents the everyday woman who does not fit societies idea of 'beauty' and that makes her feel incredibly insecure. Her main goal is to be beautiful (sounds problematic but it works in the context of the film). After an incident at a spinning class, Renee suddenly becomes ultra-confident and bubbly. At first, this is funny but Renee soon becomes less likable and more obnoxious; she starts treating her friends poorly and becomes an arrogant airhead. I think this was the wrong direction to take the character. It would have been more effective if Renee was stripped of her self-confidence soon after her likability peaks. Then the audience would have felt empathy for Renee when feels insecure again. Instead, the audience found it funny when post-confident Renee was flustered and upset. Kohn and Silverstein risk Renee's likability with the direction they take the character. Luckily, Schumer is on hand with a strong performance.
It is during Renee's performance of "Swalla" by Jason Derulo when the film's (intended) message really becomes clear. Renee enters a bikini contest but the sequence that follows is so much more than this. During her performance, Renee dances like nobody is watching, she embraces her body and radiates confidence. This seems to be what Kohn and Silverstein were going for; Renee is never unlikable, she does not get upset about losing and is happy for the winner. This scene shows to women that they shouldn't care about what everyone looks like around them, they should just focus on having a good time as themselves. On the surface, this sequence will appear to be inserted in the film for laughs but it actually embodies the film's intended message (after this scene, Renee becomes gradually more unlikable).
One of I Feel Pretty's biggest weaknesses is that it often feels like a film that has been made exclusively for women; I enjoy a good female comedy and this usually does not bother me. However, Renee's problems are mostly female-specific. Maybe that is why the female audience members seemed to enjoy I Feel Pretty much more than I did? It seems that Kohn and Silverstein were aware of this as Rory Scovel's Ethan opens up about his own insecurities. I Feel Pretty is frequently funny. Though I struggle to recall any hilarious moments that were not already shown in the advertising. The film gets points though for referencing Selena Gomez: the joke is factually incorrect as Gomez does not appear in the music video for "It Ain't Me" but I was shocked and excited to hear her name. I also enjoyed when Renee was walking through a reception area listening to "Girl on Fire" by Alicia Keys in her headphones. While I would not call I Feel Pretty hilarious, the majority of the audience members in this screening likely would.
While this is definitely Schumer's film, there are some solid performances from the supporting cast. I Feel Pretty has so far not been a big box office hit so my next sentence is a hyperbole. This is a star turn for Rory Scovel; Ethan is probably the most subversive character in the film and Scovel plays him excellently. Michelle Williams is pretty unrecognisable as Avery LeClaire...or at least her voice is. Williams' squeaky voice will be divisive and may irritate some, but I liked what she did with the role. Emily Ratajkowski finds herself in another small role where she doesn't make too much of an impression. Although it helps Renee to realise everybody has insecurities, it was quite contradicting for Renee to look down on and judge thinner women. Aidy Bryant is wasted.
I wanted to love I Feel Pretty. Its message is important and Schumer delivers a strong performance (including an excellent speech towards the end of the film). There are some funny moments but there could have been more. There is a Selena Gomez reference and unapologetically, this film's score is probably closer to 60/100 than it should be because of it. The film has a great message; Kohn and Silverstein clearly had harmless intentions. However, Kohn and Silverstein's directing debut is far from impressive and their script loses its way and misses the mark. If I have learned anything from Snatched and I Feel Pretty, it is that Amy Schumer needs to start writing her own roles again.
It sounds like I really disliked I Feel Pretty, doesn't it? Even though I did not love it, I enjoyed watching this film and that is mostly because of Amy Schumer. Controversially, I find Amy Schumer incredibly likable and her performance as Renee should be up there with her Golden Globe-nominated performance in Trainwreck. Schumer is convincingly insecure and self-conscious and then a few scenes later, she exudes confidence. It takes a talented actor to play a role with such contrasting personalities and Schumer does it with finesse. Schumer's Renee is a complex character, both intentionally and non-intentionally. Renee represents the everyday woman who does not fit societies idea of 'beauty' and that makes her feel incredibly insecure. Her main goal is to be beautiful (sounds problematic but it works in the context of the film). After an incident at a spinning class, Renee suddenly becomes ultra-confident and bubbly. At first, this is funny but Renee soon becomes less likable and more obnoxious; she starts treating her friends poorly and becomes an arrogant airhead. I think this was the wrong direction to take the character. It would have been more effective if Renee was stripped of her self-confidence soon after her likability peaks. Then the audience would have felt empathy for Renee when feels insecure again. Instead, the audience found it funny when post-confident Renee was flustered and upset. Kohn and Silverstein risk Renee's likability with the direction they take the character. Luckily, Schumer is on hand with a strong performance.
It is during Renee's performance of "Swalla" by Jason Derulo when the film's (intended) message really becomes clear. Renee enters a bikini contest but the sequence that follows is so much more than this. During her performance, Renee dances like nobody is watching, she embraces her body and radiates confidence. This seems to be what Kohn and Silverstein were going for; Renee is never unlikable, she does not get upset about losing and is happy for the winner. This scene shows to women that they shouldn't care about what everyone looks like around them, they should just focus on having a good time as themselves. On the surface, this sequence will appear to be inserted in the film for laughs but it actually embodies the film's intended message (after this scene, Renee becomes gradually more unlikable).
One of I Feel Pretty's biggest weaknesses is that it often feels like a film that has been made exclusively for women; I enjoy a good female comedy and this usually does not bother me. However, Renee's problems are mostly female-specific. Maybe that is why the female audience members seemed to enjoy I Feel Pretty much more than I did? It seems that Kohn and Silverstein were aware of this as Rory Scovel's Ethan opens up about his own insecurities. I Feel Pretty is frequently funny. Though I struggle to recall any hilarious moments that were not already shown in the advertising. The film gets points though for referencing Selena Gomez: the joke is factually incorrect as Gomez does not appear in the music video for "It Ain't Me" but I was shocked and excited to hear her name. I also enjoyed when Renee was walking through a reception area listening to "Girl on Fire" by Alicia Keys in her headphones. While I would not call I Feel Pretty hilarious, the majority of the audience members in this screening likely would.
While this is definitely Schumer's film, there are some solid performances from the supporting cast. I Feel Pretty has so far not been a big box office hit so my next sentence is a hyperbole. This is a star turn for Rory Scovel; Ethan is probably the most subversive character in the film and Scovel plays him excellently. Michelle Williams is pretty unrecognisable as Avery LeClaire...or at least her voice is. Williams' squeaky voice will be divisive and may irritate some, but I liked what she did with the role. Emily Ratajkowski finds herself in another small role where she doesn't make too much of an impression. Although it helps Renee to realise everybody has insecurities, it was quite contradicting for Renee to look down on and judge thinner women. Aidy Bryant is wasted.
I wanted to love I Feel Pretty. Its message is important and Schumer delivers a strong performance (including an excellent speech towards the end of the film). There are some funny moments but there could have been more. There is a Selena Gomez reference and unapologetically, this film's score is probably closer to 60/100 than it should be because of it. The film has a great message; Kohn and Silverstein clearly had harmless intentions. However, Kohn and Silverstein's directing debut is far from impressive and their script loses its way and misses the mark. If I have learned anything from Snatched and I Feel Pretty, it is that Amy Schumer needs to start writing her own roles again.
56
/100
What did you think of I FEEL PRETTY? What should Schumer's next move be? - COMMENT BELOW
0 comments