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Here's a look at the new movies I saw this week.

I Feel Pretty
Starring: Amy Schumer, Michelle Williams, Lauren Hutton, Tom Hopper, and Rory Scovel
Synopsis: In the last weekend before blockbusters come to dominate the Box Office for the summer, Amy Schumer's latest comedy, "I Feel Pretty," was the biggest new release. It finished a modest third at the Box Office opening weekend, and will quickly fade away. That's what should happen. I remember a couple years ago when Schumer was red hot, and summer fare like "Trainwreck" was eagerly anticipated. But her movies have cooled of late, and there was little about the plot and premise of "I Feel Pretty" that seemed like it was going to work well. And if you've seen the film, you know that's pretty much how it played out. The film is about a woman who's more like a normal woman than a super model, and she feels like she doesn't fit the model and definition of beauty being provided in the media. And she and her friends (Aidy Bryant and Busy Phillips) are also a little frustrated that for most men in the dating pool their interest is limited to profile pics, which isn't the strongest area for these ladies. But they know they're worth more, and deserve to be given a chance. During a disastrous SoulCycling session, Schumer's Rene hits her head and, somehow, thinks she's achieved a super model level of physique. The thing is, she hasn't changed physically, but her mental outlook has changed. And her confidence helps her find a good relationship and make an impression at work. When she hits her head again, she sees herself as she is, and that confidence disappears. Until she realizes she never changed physically at all, and she has all she needs to be a success. It's a good lesson, and an important and worthy topic. So let me address that for a minute. The ideas in this film are good and important. I'm not a woman, but I know what it's like to lack confidence because your physical appearance doesn't match the standards presented in our media. And that's a problem. And the fact people are often so superficial is also a problem. And you'd like to believe that people can build self-confidence on something other than appearance and enjoy success. These are all good things to lift up and talk about. That being said, this isn't the greatest vehicle to do that. I applaud writer/directors Abby Kohn and Marc Silverstein for taking on this kind of story. And there are some good elements here. But some of it is a little too goofy and the humor is a little too uneven. Schumer has a lot of fans and has a certain appeal, but there were elements of her performance and this role that felt like a little too much. And Williams is a great actress, but the running gag in this film about her characters voice wore thin for me. (Though incredible kuddos to her for pulling that off.) Again, this is a worthy and important idea, I just didn't think the movie worked for me.
Rating: PG-13 for sexual content, some partial nudity, and language.
Verdict: One star out of four.

Paterno
Starring: Al Pacino, Riley Keough, and Kathy Baker
Synopsis: Joe Paterno was a legendary and successful coach at Penn State for many years. But his storied career ended in scandal after one of his long-time assistants was charged as a child molester (chargers for which he was convicted). Paterno was fired, embroiled in scandal, and died shortly after the incident that ruined the end of his career. It's been a few years since all that, but now HBO Films has released a new docudrama starring Pacino as the legendary coach. The film focuses on the tense days between Paterno winning his 409th game, a new NCAA record, and his dismissal. It follows Paterno and his family, as well as reporter Sara Ganim (Keough), who broke the story and won a Pulitzer Prize. The film is a somewhat interesting exploration of a grim topic that most of us don't really want to re-live. This wants to be a version of "Spotlight," but it's not quite that compelling. At times it seems to be defending Paterno in a way, pointing out the culpability of others who didn't suffer as much public shaming, and at times it seems to want to denegrate him for not doing more. That's probably somewhat accurate. Paterno was great at coaching football, and did a lot for Penn State and many people that went through that school. But whether it was due to a singular focus or an unwillingness to believe these reports were possible and true, he made some mistakes. And we'll never be able to think of him the same way, which is deserved. It reminds me of the end of "Spotlight," when the story is broken and the reporters and editors are sitting around and discussing how this could happen, when Michael Keaton's character acknowledges he heard the rumors, but couldn't believe they were true so he looked the other way, meaning he was part of the problem in allowing all this to happen. I think that's probably a somewhat fare assessment of Paterno, and it seems to be the kind of assessment that this film wants to present. It's an interesting and decently made film, but probably not one that everyone needs to seek out.
Rating: TV-MA
Verdict: Two stars out of four.

Upcoming Releases:
Friday, April 27 — "Avengers: Infinity War," "Animal Crackers"