Trainwreck (Review)

Trainwreck (2015)

Comedy

Directed By: Judd Apatow

Believe it or not it has already been eight years since the release of Knocked Up and in turn, it has been eight years since Judd Apatow has truly impressed audiences from the director’s chair. He made a quick name for himself with The 40 year Old Virgin and Knocked Up, two genius level comedies that elevated him to instant stardom, but after that his next two projects (Funny People, This Is 40) fell flat. How do you rebirth one of the best comedy directors of our time? You pair him with the top comedic talent of our time. For his newest film, Trainwreck, he not only has iconic comedian Amy Schumer in her first major movie role but, she actually wrote the script as well, and it's quite incredible for a freshman screenwriter. The pairing of the two not only makes for a huge comeback for Apatow, it also opens an entirely new world of possibilities for the young Schumer.

Amy (Amy Schumer) is a wild, free spirited, no crap taking, independent woman living in New York City. She works for a successful male magazine, has a nice apartment, and basically does whatever (or whoever) she wants whenever she wants to. Her father taught her when she was a child that “monogamy isn’t realistic” after getting divorced from her mother, these words would stick with her into much of her adult life and shapes her personality. She doesn't believe in commitment or relationships, she just believes in having fun. That is until she gets her new assignment at work. She is supposed to interview an up and coming sports doctor (Bill Hader) about his methods but instead, she may just find out what love really is.

If you are at all familiar with her stand-up, Schumer's script will feel quite familiar. She uses a lot of the same themes and ideas that she uses in her comedy. She blatantly calls out the way women are treated in not only Hollywood, but the general workplace as well. What keeps her from becoming too preachy is her willingness to exploit both sides of the argument. While showing how disgusting and mean spirited men can be she is never afraid to turn it around and show how the female can be the problem as well. Her first outing as a screenwriter could not have gone better. She created a modern love story that is connectable for both the young and older generations while still playing as an amazing social satire. If there is one thing to love about Amy, it is her desire to cross the line and get in your face with her humor.

Despite being the first movie Apatow directed that he didn't write himself, his mark is still left on the final product. The two have a similar style of comedy so fitting Schumer's jokes into his story structure was never a problem. Much like his other films, Trainwreck isn't just about comedy either. Yeah there are A LOT of amazing jokes that will have you laughing hysterically but underneath it all it is a beautiful romance. This is a large part of what made Apatow famous in the first place. His movies, while being comedy centered, always tend to go a little deeper into the human condition than most others in the genre. He wants you to leave the theater with more than just good laughs, he wants you to leave thinking and feeling about what you just saw. While Funny People and This Is 40 may have failed to do so, this film is a return to form for the director and is quite possibly his best film to date.

If anyone doubted Schumer's talents before this film they can shut their mouths now. She not only is absolutely hilarious in this movie but she turns in a real and authentic performance that I feel is one of the best of the year so far. She couldn't have done it all by herself though, and the group of characters they brought in to help couldn't have been better. All starting with Bill Hader, the longtime SNL alum plays Amy's love interest in the film and he once again shows that comedy isn't all he knows. Much like in The Skeleton Twins, he shows us that he has some real acting chops. Colin Quinn nails his role as her obnoxious father and the wonderful Brie Larson is a welcomed sight as her responsible sister.

There are two big surprises that make this film far more enjoyable than I thought it would be. They are NBA star Lebron James and WWE superstar John Cena. These two steal literally every scene they are in and each have the most quotable lines of the film. Lebron plays himself as he is a patient of Bill Hader's character and their relationship is so amazingly funny. I definitely had some doubts if he could act and he squashes every one of them because, guys, Lebron is funny as hell. Maybe not more so than John Cena though, who plays Amy's "love" interest early in the film. His scene in the movie theater is one the best written and most hilarious comedy scenes of the last decade and when you leave the movie you'll find yourself talking more about him and Lebron than anyone else.

Trainwreck is a huge leap forward for Amy Schumer, who has been growing in popularity it seems by the day as her show becomes bigger and just about every magazine on the planet is interviewing her. She deserves every bit of the success she is getting and I can't wait to see what the future holds for her. This movie proves that she is not only an incredible comedic force to be reckoned with but that she can also write a damn good story as well. If she keeps teaming up with talented film-makers like Apatow I have no doubts her career will be long and impressive. Whether you are a fan of hers or not I definitely recommend getting to the theater for this one. It will make you laugh more than any other film this year and it might just change your mind on Ms. Schumer.

 

As always, thanks for reading and I am Zach Who Watches Movies. You can find me anytime on twitter @ZachWWMovies, smell ya later!