– Written by Joshua Armstrong
A Funny Film, Far From A Trainwreck Itself
I’m not going to beat around the bush with this film review, I’ll be completely up-front and honest…
Judd Apatow and Amy Schumer are one of the best comedic director/actor team ups I’ve seen! Amy Schumer’s unapologetic, brutally honest yet hilariously referential humour is a perfect match for Judd Apatow’s ability to find humour in highly relatable yet slightly absurd situations grounded heavily in reality. I found myself laughing loudly and frequently throughout the whole film, mostly due to a cleverly written script, many improvised scenes and how the characters react to certain uncomfortable situations.
The start of the film sets the direction and type of humour almost immediately, with an incredibly funny piece of fatherly advice from Gordon (played by Colin Quinn) to his young daughters Amy and Kim. This hilarious advice from a father to his little five and nine year old daughters helps set the story very quickly, helping the audience understand why Amy keeps jumping from man to man, without holding down a serious relationship in adulthood.
Amy Schumer plays Amy (already suggesting that this film is based on real events in Schumer’s own personal life), a woman who has everything she could want in life: a great job as a journalist for a Men’s magazine, an apartment in New York City, goes to plenty of parties and hooks up with many good looking men, staying true to her father’s advice that “Monogamy isn’t real.” Schumer does a brilliant job of portraying a fun and independent woman living life the way she wants, without appearing too self-centred or shallow. She’s likeable and even relatable, a flawed character who’s heart is in the right place.
The characters surrounding Amy are also brilliantly written and fun to watch, including her boss at the Men’s magazine, her co-workers, the rambling homeless guy by the door to Amy’s apartment block, and especially her current “boyfriend” Steven. WWE wrestling superstar John Cena plays this muscle-bound boyfriend of hers, and has some of the funniest and most memorable scenes in the film, particularly an argument with another couple at the cinema with unintentional homosexual tendencies.
We are soon introduced to Aaron, a sports doctor and surgeon played by Saturday Night Live funny man Bill Hader, the subject of Amy’s next article and her new potential love interest. What makes this film so enjoyable is that Apatow avoids the cliché “love at first sight” scenario and gives Amy and Aaron a chance to get to know each other over time and develop a relationship. Amy’s fear of developing a relationship and maintaining her fun, independent lifestyle is the central plot to Trainwreck, and while it is humorous to see how Amy deals with feelings of love and affection, the film does start to fall into classic romantic comedy clichés in the second half. Fortunately, Schumer’s unique brand of humour and her ability to improvise continues to entertain, even during those clichéd romantic comedy scenes.
While Bill Hader doesn’t steal the show, he is still funny to watch and is by far the most likeable character in the film, displaying Aaron as an intelligent, kind-hearted and at times, delightfully silly boyfriend. It’s his patience and reasoning during Amy’s transition that makes for some funny moments and incredibly accurate or relatable scenes for anyone who has ever been in a relationship.
Aaron’s best friend, basketball superstar LeBron James playing himself, has several hilarious scenes taking friendly shots at his fame and fortune as a basketball player. His concern for Aaron’s wellbeing seems genuine and I often found myself wondering if LeBron has a film career ahead of him. Like John Cena, LeBron has a few hilarious scenes which help the film stand out, including an absurd but incredibly hilarious intervention for Aaron, joined by LeBron’s friends in the sports industry, which sees an American sports caster highlighting the hidden intentions and uncomfortable tone throughout. I had no idea an intervention could be this funny!
Overall, Trainwreck does a fantastic job of allowing comedians Amy Schumer and Bill Hader to flex their comedic muscles and portray their characters with comfort and ease. Director Judd Apatow does what he does best in portraying real relationships, real life moments and funny yet relatable characters whose reactions and personal thoughts on difficult situations provide the most laughs. While the film does start to fall into clichéd romantic comedy territory in the second half, it maintains its high level of humour throughout.
Positives:
- Another hilarious Judd Apatow classic in line with Knocked Up and The 40 Year Old Virgin.
- Amy Schumer and Bill Hader are funny and genuine leads.
- The funniest scenes belong to supporting characters, like LeBron James and John Cena.
- Excellent story involving a relationship many people can relate to.
Negatives:
- A few jokes hit and miss, or just fall flat. Thankfully not too many.
- Falls into the romantic comedy cliché category in the second half.
