Although the Tom Hanks classic
Big gets a name-check here, it really feels more like an inverted variation on
Shallow Hal—and in any case, a high-concept comedy almost always lives or dies based on the central performance. Amy Schumer plays Renee Bennett, a woman whose discontent with her physical appearance vanishes after she awakens from a knock on the head convinced that the woman in the mirror is now drop-dead gorgeous. There’s an inevitability to the narrative arc by writer/directors Abby Kohn and Marc Silverstein—the real beauty was inside you the whole time, etc.—and at times the script feels thin on actual jokes. But Schumer nails both sides of her work as Renee, including early glances at herself conveying an almost heartbreaking self-loathing, and she’s aided by a terrific supporting cast including Rory Scovel (as Renee’s ordinary-guy love interest), Michelle Williams (as a helium-voiced fashion maven) and Aidy Bryant (as Renee’s gal-pal). While there may be nothing earth-shaking in the empowerment message, Schumer gives her all to conveying that nothing is more attractive than confidence, whether it’s rational or irrational.
By
Scott Renshaw