Given that 'Trainwreck' is collaboration between screenwriter/ star Amy Schumer – a fan-favorite among comedy fans for her ability to combine uncomfortable social commentary and sex humour – and Director Judd Apatow – who revived the R-rated comedy like a schlubby necromancer – one might assume the duo would be able to reach comedic heights together.
While it doesn’t break new ground like some might expect from the celebrated pair, it is a consistently funny film – without all of the formulaic trapping of a romantic comedy and the often bad writing of a stereotypical gross-out comedy while combining some of the best elements of both.
It’s a Judd Apatow movie, but with Amy Schumer as the goofy, satisfied perpetual Peter Pan-type instead of Seth Rogen, with all of the inherent differences that imply.
Schumer plays Amy Townshend, a writer for a sleazy, exploitation-ridden magazine with enough sexual conquests under her belt to give Elvis Presley a run for his money. As a child, her father Gordon (a legitimately great Colin Quinn) told her and her sister Kim (played by Brie Larson as an adult) that “monogamy isn’t realistic,” which he forces them to chant, on the eve of her parent’s divorce.Those words shaped Amy’s adult life, as the montage of men she runs from after sex will attest too. She is then assigned to do a story on sports Doctor, Aaron Connors (Bill Hader). Once they inevitably sleep together she discovers for some strange quirk in the universe, she doesn’t immediately at first chance. Not without trying to flee at first, of course, but she still stays. Could she be – gasp! - maturing?
Those expecting a more progressive, stranger comedic piece arguing that someone can smoke, drink and have sex without while still being in control of their own life – and still be be interesting – as might be seen on Schumer’s TV show 'Inside Amy Schumer' might be disappointed.
There are scenes towards the end of her predictable acceptance of adulthood moment where she gives up weed and smoking, as most Apatow protagonists often do. While additional depth is mostly unexplored here, 'Trianwreck' hits many of the expected plot points better than most.
Many of the Schumer’s best scenes involve moments where she delivers that elicit the kind of high-pitched bellowing that comes from someone laughing at something they relate to more than they’d like to admit.The performances here help immensely, as both Schumer and Hader are both compelling and funny. Even as the former occasionally behaves coldly and the latter’s character is that of the largely foible-free romantic interest roles many actresses are called upon to perform.
The supporting players make several scenes sing, such as: Quinn, Larson and Tilda Swinton (as Amy’s tanned beast of a boss) who make the movie go by smoothly.
Surprisingly, athletes John Cena – as one of Amy’s barely-closeted boy-toys – and LeBron James as a nerdy, nosey version of himself threaten to steal every scene either appears in.
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Cena conveys shocking vulnerability despite saying lines such as “I will fuck you! I will enter you!” as threats to a movie patron he’s arguing, and James’ scene where he recites lyrics from Kanye West's 'Gold Digger' as a stone-faced pep talk is one of the best in the movie.
As with every Apatow picture, it’s a little too long, the main character simply wanders from interaction to interactions, and there a few scenes that don’t carry any emotion or just aren’t very funny. Yet there is more than enough strong material for audiences to enjoy.
'Trainwreck' is in cinemas now.
