#film

Amy Schumer’s got a serious case of prosopagnosia.

We all have our moments of self-reflection. A momentary lapse in judgement that may (or may not, depends) help us achieve a better sense of who we are for a few seconds. A few days at most. Renee is sort of an outlier.

Emboldened by the determination to excel, Renee (Amy Schumer) takes to the gym to find her epiphany, but not without a few bumps on the road – literally. From dynamic duo Abby Kohn and Marc Silverstein (How To Be Single, Never Been Kissed) comes romantic comedy I Feel Pretty. The film addresses the ills of low-self confidence, and mostly succeeds.

We begin with Renee; she’s down in the dumps for lacking in aesthetics. She has good friends, but to Renee, they’re average. She’s working a sweaty, unfulfilling job under the streets of Chinatown, complimented with her apathetic, yet equally potent comedic source Mason (Adrian Martinez). Soon after deciding change is imminent, Renee finds herself suffering major head trauma. And with that, the film really begins.

The “joke” of the film persists through Renee’s ability to be overtly self-confident – to the point of blatant narcissism – to execute the basic: “just be yourself” maxim in a fairly humorous manner. She’s lacking the ability to take criticism, because she feels there’s no need for change. In Renee’s newfound eyes, she’s perfection incarnate. The film’s humor is deprived from her lack of understanding, which prompts funny scenarios and weird looks, among other things. And yet, because of this, Schumer is able to take her inner middleman, every-day office clerk to the higher echelons of Lily LeClair (Michelle Williams), a big name in the make-up/designer scene and the location of Renee’s future ambitions. While at the headquarters, Renee meets Lily LeClair’s CFO Helen Grey (Naomi Campbell) who is instantly taken with Renee’s charisma.

Going no further into spoiler territory, it’s a fun film. Sprinkled throughout was a decent dose of subtle, comedic banter that’s sure to entertain. Going further, I Feel Pretty will invoke bouts of laughter; perhaps not outright tear-jerking episodes, but laughter all the same.

As far as romantic comedy goes, we say it hit the mark.

I Feel Pretty releases April 20th.