Movie Information
Release Date: July 17, 2015
Director: Judd Apatow
Writer: Amy Schumer
Cast: Colin Quinn, Devin Fabry, Carla Oudin, Amy Schumer, Josh Segarra, Ryan Farrell, Robert E. Torres, Jim Florentine, Bobby Kelly, Dan Soder, John Cena, Dave Attell, Vanessa Bayer, Tilda Swinton, Randall Park, Jon Glaser, Ezra Miller, Brie Larson, Evan Brinkman, Mike Birbiglia
MPAA Rating: R
Runtime: 125 minutes
Production Company: Apatow Productions, Universal Pictures
Genre: Comedy
Language: English
Country: USA
Budget: N/A
There’s much to be said about Trainwreck. It’s bold, clever, and saying it’s funny is an understatement. It’s hilariously laugh-out-loud funny. The kind that may make your stomach hurt. I was worried for a second that director Judd Apatow had lost his magic. I loved Knocked Up, and 40 Year Old Virgin, but Funny People and This is 40 didn’t work for me. So, not being a fan of Amy Schumer, and dismissing Apatow’s last two films, I was on the fence.
I’m off now, and on the side of greatness, with Amy Schumer shining bright on my radar. She knocked this role out of the park as an independent woman who could not care less about anything or anyone in her way. The character she plays, “Amy,” gains my full respect. There should be more roles like this on the big screen, for they give a new outlook on life. Though Amy’s character is the one to cheer for, the plot may not be as much.
This film is filled with laughs from start to end. It’s nearly impossible not to find something amusing during the runtime. It’s also extremely bold. The humor is unforgiving, expressing the thoughts of everyday life people think of, but are afraid to say. It’s like a venting session with characters you can relate to releasing a week’s frustration of built up stress. If you ever wanted to punch a co-worker in the face, this film does it for you.
Amy does that as well. She doesn’t care about stereotypes or fitting in. She does her own thing and does not care if she’s judged. It all stems from the environment we’re raised in, and the audience even gets that in hilarious fashion. I loved her character. She was being difficult on screen at times, which made her that much more human.
The cast was vast, to say the least. The cameos were a mixed bag of entertainment. While I thought John Cena was quite funny in his appearance in the film, I thought Lebron James was atrocious. His entire performance stuck out like a sore thumb and was far too long. Of course he’s not an actor, but how difficult is it to play himself? He did, during one scene on a basketball court, but the rest for forced down our throats. He should have just been himself and memorized his lines, instead of attempting to be funny. He was one of the weaker points in the film. In addition, I am not the biggest fan of Bill Hader’s role. He came across as a desperate creep with no reason to justify it.
While I just raved on about how funny the film is, most of the scenes aren’t realistic. The characters are, but what they do is too much and over the top. In a way it doesn’t matter, because it’s still funny. So depending on what you’re looking for at your next trip to the theater will determine your level of enjoyment. I also didn’t mind where the characters ended up.
Amy’s character is looking for love and everyone deserves that. Though she isn’t always going about it in the right way. She treats men the way some men treat women, that all came from an opinion of someone else (her father) instead of her own experiences. It’s more believable if I don’t like chocolate ice cream because the twenty times I tried it, it didn’t agree with my taste buds, than me not liking it because someone told me I wouldn’t. That’s what her foundation of love is built off of, and to be honest it’s lacking.
Even though the characters on screen do not make much sense, they’re still a joy to watch. Even when I was frustrated with someone’s motivation on screen, seconds later I was laughing out loud at their silly antics.
You have smart comedies like Hangover and Bridesmaids, and also dumb comedies like Billy Madison or your classic spoof. Trainwreck has its own little section fitting right in the middle. It is worth multiple viewings and can easily stand the test of time. I look forward to watching it again amongst friends during a gathering over the weekend, but it still isn’t good enough for me to label it as one of the best.