Trainwreck Movie Review
“Trainwreck”, written by Amy Schumer and directed by Judd Apatow, stays within its genre—it does not redefine romantic comedies. But within that traditional frame, the movie was still very comedically successful.
Amy Schumer is best known for her Comedy Central TV show, “Inside Amy Schumer”, which is a collection of sketches, interviews on the streets and clips of her performing stand-up comedy. The show deals with the superficial and sometimes low-brow: one night stands, sexting, Schumer in a cat suit and cooking meth.
But just because they are not profoundly deep, that does not mean Schumer and the show aren’t profoundly funny. We were happy to see this transfer to her first feature-length project. Similar to “Inside Amy Schumer,” “Trainwreck” felt like a series of skits. The cast drew from a tap of “Saturday Night Live” greats: Bill Hader stars along Schumer as an athletic surgeon and love interest, while big-toothed Vanessa Bayer portrays a fellow colleague.
With what could have been a disastrous cameo, LeBron James was a surprising highlight. He played himself, but emphasized an unexpectedly sensitive side.
Certain lines shined through, either overtly or subtly. Rather than the plot, which was for the most part predictable, it was the small characters and particular quotes that were best.
James, who is friends with Hader’s character, confronted Schumer with a classic line reversed: “Don’t hurt him.” Schumer’s nephew is an enthusiastic pre-teen, and though he played a small part, his few lines were entertaining.
John Cena plays Schumer’s consistent hook-up, an overly athletic and thumb-like gym goer, who Schumer describes as an “ice sculpture.” Although their relationship is cringe-worthy, Cena’s intense masculinity is low-brow but universally funny. For instance, he promises to make her his “Crossfit queen.”
In the movie, Schumer bravely toys with the often restrictive sexual and gendered expectations for women, especially in Hollywood. By playing a character usually occupied by men in romantic comedies, the viewer realizes just how ridiculous they are.
Her jokes about society and what it means to be a woman feel natural, which makes the themes explored relatable for the viewers. Although the skits on her show aren’t long enough to involve serious emotions, the feature-length film form allowed for emotional development.
“Trainwreck” is fun to watch, but it is not profoundly memorable and isn’t exceptionally unique in its comedy. It is, at its core, a movie from 2015. The best jokes (about children playing Minecraft, “safe words” and certain stereotypical traits of athletes) are enjoyable because they are current. In ten years, they might not be so relevant, and therefore riduculous to watch back. That said, it is a worthwhile diversion and is full of laugh out loud moments.