Trainwreck - directed by Judd Apatow
Starring: Amy Schumer, Bill Hader, John Cena, Tilda Swinton, Randall Park, Brie Larson, Marisa Tomei, Daniel Radcliffe, LeBron James, Vanessa Bayer, Colin Quinn, Ezra Miller
Running Time: 125 minutes
Rated: R16 - profanity, sex and lots of dirty talk.
I don't know a thing about Amy Schumer.
To the best of my recollection I have never seen her in anything before so she is not a draw for me.
Yet at least.
But this movie is supposed to be funny and since Bill Hader is in it the worst case scenario is that at least one part of it will be.
Schumer has recently been spotted out and about chumming it up with Jennifer Lawrence and if she is good enough for JL she is certainly good enough for me.
And for Judd Apatow- the current comedy director du jour and helmer of such hits as "Knocked Up", "The Forty Year Old Virgin" and "So This Is Forty".
With "Trainwreck" Apatow directs a script written by Schumer herself.
He has made stars of a bunch of up and coming comics but for me suffers from the blight that sometimes plagues Peter Jackson - a lack of judicious use of editing for length.
So in the hope that Apatow can reign in the running time at least a bit better than his previous two hours plus flicks I sat down to watch.
Concerns that this film won't deliver on the laughs are put to rest very early.
With the very first scene in which their Father explains to the young Amy and Kim why monogamy is a bad idea using a comparison with how many dolls the girls would like to play with this film delivers.
It is a brilliantly funny introduction but there is even better to come.
John Cena steals the first half hour of the movie as the (sort of) boyfriend to Schumer's Amy.
He gets a hilarious sex scene followed by a cinema exchange that is one of the comedy highlights of the year for me.
I am surprised to find myself now a fan of the guy.
He pays against type and it works so, so well.
The star of the show here is of course Schumer but she smartly lets all around her shine.
Obviously this includes her leading man Bill Hader who is as good as people who know him would expect but also the host of cameo and extended cameo stars.
LeBron James gets a pretty sizeable role and takes a fair number of laughs taking the piss out of his status as a wealthy superstar.
The movie that we see played within the movie starring Daniel Radcliffe and Marisa Tomei is also a hoot.
Not all of the cameo appearances pay off as much as they were clearly included to.
The Chris Evert, Matthew Broderick, Marv Albert scene is overplayed and quickly wears out its welcome.
But still- it has its laughs.
"Trainwreck" is so consistently funny for the first hour or so that any small fumbles are very easy to forgive.
As generous as Schumer is in allowing her co-stars to shine this in no way impacts on her leading lady status.
Amy might be a damaged character who often does pretty despicable things but she is still likable.
Full credit to the writer-actress here - she generates sympathy in the role not only because we know why she is the way that she is but because she doesn't apply any gender politics to the role.
Amy is only doing what a couple of hundred male characters do frequently in movies like "Hall Pass", "The Change-Up", "Entourage".... hell even my favourite comedy of all time "Fletch".
At no point is her behaviour frowned upon because she is a woman.
If it is good enough for the guys to use 'em and lose 'em why not the girls?
There are built in yardsticks though with the appearance of Brie Larson as Amy's Sister Kim and a staggering turn from Tilda Swinton as the bitchy editor of the crappy magazine that Amy writes for.
Swinton is often unrecognisable in character and I didn't actually realise that it was her until well into the film.
Her vitriolic dialogue and the gusto with which she delivers it is yet another reason that I laughed as much as I did.
Note that Ezra Miller who played her son in the dark "We Need To Talk About Kevin" has a role here that is spookily reminiscent although purely for comic effect this time.
Brie Larson on the other hand is really there to be the straight man - think of Maura Tierney in "Liar Liar" and you'll get the idea.
Kim is the antithesis of Amy- happy, monogamous.... sweet.
I like Larson and have seen plenty of evidence previously that she has the chops for comedy but it isn't required of her here.
Besides I could look at her lovely face and appealing smile for hours.
There are issues with "Trainwreck" though.
A few characters are given the short end of the stick and along with a few plot strands seem to go nowhere.
Randall Park is so good in the short time that he is given that I wish he had been utilised more.
Likewise the magazine scenes always seem to promise more (often outrageous) punchlines than ever arrive at least on that part of the story.
And the plot is very predictable and as is the norm with Apatow movies it could easily lose a quarter hour and not only not suffer but probably become a tighter, better movie for it.
Late in the piece tone suffers as the story takes the sort of turn that should be obvious twenty minutes in.
The laughs dry up for a time but fortunately it isn't long before it rights itself nicely for a satisfying ending that nonetheless feels rushed.
The credit that the film has earned with its many, many very funny scenes isn't in any danger of being squandered so easily however and whatever niggles I have are easy to forgive.
This is easily one of the funniest movies that I have seen this year and I would happily go back for another look.
I want to enjoy Cena's scenes and Swinton's godawful but wonderful character.
And yes- I am now an Amy Schumer fan and I want to see more of her.
In this movie and in whatever else she creates.
Very, very funny- I loved it.
RATING: 80 / 100
CONCLUSION: That rare beast- a comedy that is genuinely and consistently funny. This is Amy Schumers show and she shines.
Running Time: 125 minutes
Rated: R16 - profanity, sex and lots of dirty talk.
I don't know a thing about Amy Schumer.
To the best of my recollection I have never seen her in anything before so she is not a draw for me.
Yet at least.
But this movie is supposed to be funny and since Bill Hader is in it the worst case scenario is that at least one part of it will be.
Schumer has recently been spotted out and about chumming it up with Jennifer Lawrence and if she is good enough for JL she is certainly good enough for me.
And for Judd Apatow- the current comedy director du jour and helmer of such hits as "Knocked Up", "The Forty Year Old Virgin" and "So This Is Forty".
With "Trainwreck" Apatow directs a script written by Schumer herself.
He has made stars of a bunch of up and coming comics but for me suffers from the blight that sometimes plagues Peter Jackson - a lack of judicious use of editing for length.
So in the hope that Apatow can reign in the running time at least a bit better than his previous two hours plus flicks I sat down to watch.
 |
| Hader and Schumer generate plenty of humour and considerable chemistry |
With the very first scene in which their Father explains to the young Amy and Kim why monogamy is a bad idea using a comparison with how many dolls the girls would like to play with this film delivers.
It is a brilliantly funny introduction but there is even better to come.
John Cena steals the first half hour of the movie as the (sort of) boyfriend to Schumer's Amy.
He gets a hilarious sex scene followed by a cinema exchange that is one of the comedy highlights of the year for me.
I am surprised to find myself now a fan of the guy.
He pays against type and it works so, so well.
The star of the show here is of course Schumer but she smartly lets all around her shine.
Obviously this includes her leading man Bill Hader who is as good as people who know him would expect but also the host of cameo and extended cameo stars.
LeBron James gets a pretty sizeable role and takes a fair number of laughs taking the piss out of his status as a wealthy superstar.
The movie that we see played within the movie starring Daniel Radcliffe and Marisa Tomei is also a hoot.
Not all of the cameo appearances pay off as much as they were clearly included to.
The Chris Evert, Matthew Broderick, Marv Albert scene is overplayed and quickly wears out its welcome.
But still- it has its laughs.
 |
| It's Schumer's show but Larson is lovely and Swinton amazing as a caustic, nasty bitch |
As generous as Schumer is in allowing her co-stars to shine this in no way impacts on her leading lady status.
Amy might be a damaged character who often does pretty despicable things but she is still likable.
Full credit to the writer-actress here - she generates sympathy in the role not only because we know why she is the way that she is but because she doesn't apply any gender politics to the role.
Amy is only doing what a couple of hundred male characters do frequently in movies like "Hall Pass", "The Change-Up", "Entourage".... hell even my favourite comedy of all time "Fletch".
At no point is her behaviour frowned upon because she is a woman.
If it is good enough for the guys to use 'em and lose 'em why not the girls?
There are built in yardsticks though with the appearance of Brie Larson as Amy's Sister Kim and a staggering turn from Tilda Swinton as the bitchy editor of the crappy magazine that Amy writes for.
Swinton is often unrecognisable in character and I didn't actually realise that it was her until well into the film.
Her vitriolic dialogue and the gusto with which she delivers it is yet another reason that I laughed as much as I did.
Note that Ezra Miller who played her son in the dark "We Need To Talk About Kevin" has a role here that is spookily reminiscent although purely for comic effect this time.
Brie Larson on the other hand is really there to be the straight man - think of Maura Tierney in "Liar Liar" and you'll get the idea.
Kim is the antithesis of Amy- happy, monogamous.... sweet.
I like Larson and have seen plenty of evidence previously that she has the chops for comedy but it isn't required of her here.
Besides I could look at her lovely face and appealing smile for hours.
 |
| John Cena is a revelation and hilarious but LeBron James gives a terrifically funny performance also |
A few characters are given the short end of the stick and along with a few plot strands seem to go nowhere.
Randall Park is so good in the short time that he is given that I wish he had been utilised more.
Likewise the magazine scenes always seem to promise more (often outrageous) punchlines than ever arrive at least on that part of the story.
And the plot is very predictable and as is the norm with Apatow movies it could easily lose a quarter hour and not only not suffer but probably become a tighter, better movie for it.
Late in the piece tone suffers as the story takes the sort of turn that should be obvious twenty minutes in.
The laughs dry up for a time but fortunately it isn't long before it rights itself nicely for a satisfying ending that nonetheless feels rushed.
The credit that the film has earned with its many, many very funny scenes isn't in any danger of being squandered so easily however and whatever niggles I have are easy to forgive.
This is easily one of the funniest movies that I have seen this year and I would happily go back for another look.
I want to enjoy Cena's scenes and Swinton's godawful but wonderful character.
And yes- I am now an Amy Schumer fan and I want to see more of her.
In this movie and in whatever else she creates.
Very, very funny- I loved it.
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