Trainwreck

Admittedly, I did not have a lot of exposure to Amy Schumer going into this film. I was also a little tepid about seeing the film when I found that this is the first film she has ever written, also the first for her to play the leading role. And to keep the firsts going, this is also the first film that Judd Apatow has directed, but not written. There is a lot that could go wrong here. But it didn’t. At the recommendation of several friends, I went into this film optimistic. Boy were they right.

 

Trainwreck is the story of Amy Townsend (Amy Schumer). A career non-monogamist who kind-of/sort-of has a steady boyfriend, but she also happens to have her fun on the side. Having taken life lessons from her philandering father (Colin Quinn), Amy is all about having fun. She really is what the title of the movie suggests. But what most people don’t understand is that her commitment phobia really stems from her thinking she could never have the type of life and relationship that others, like her sister, have. She is rude, crude and never going to fall in love. Until she meets Aaron Connors (Bill Hader). Amy works for S’Nuff, a men’s magazine that is all about the outrageous stories, such as “How to Masturbate in the Workplace”. Another staffer pitches a piece about Aaron, a sports doctor who has recently developed a new surgery technique that would reduce downtime from knee surgery by half. Amy, being a non-sports fan and having just split with her kind-of/sort-of boyfriend, gets assigned the piece and ends up falling into bed with him and the sparks begin to fly. What could go wrong when a pot-smoking commitment-phobe meets her match and begins to fall in love?

 

Chock full of cameos, this movie is magic from start to finish. Bringing Schumer’s special brand of comedy to the big screen is no easy task, but it works. Schumer and Hader have such a great chemistry, it makes their relationship seem plausible – the responsible doctor and the slacker magazine writer. From start to finish, the film has great timing in both the comedic moments, and the sadder moments. The supporting cast was tremendous as joining Firth are Tilda Swinton as Amy Schumer’s eccentric boss, Brie Larson as her sister, Mike Birbiglia as her brother-in-law, not to mention Ezra Miller, Lebron James, and various other athletes and stars, including 6 current and past Saturday Night Live cast members. Quick note: I am not a Lebron James fan at all. I have personal opinions about the moves he has made, more the way he has made them, but he was superb in this film. He really can act well enough for the part at hand, and I wouldn’t be surprised if you see him in more roles in the future. You know, after his NBA career ends.

 

All-in-all, if you are a fan of Amy Schumer. Go see this movie. If you are looking for a great date-night movie. Go see this movie. If you are looking to laugh and some good, and at times inappropriate, humor… go see this movie. I can’t stress it enough. You will not regret it.

 

5 stars out of 5.

 

By Jennifer Fiduccia

I was looking forward to seeing the new film Trainwreck, starring Amy Schumer, Bill Hader, Brie Larson, Colin Quinn, Tilda Swinton, John Cena, LeBron James and Daniel Radcliffe. It did not disappoint.

I have watched Schumer on and off on her Comedy Central show ‘Inside Amy Schumer’ and think she’s ridiculously funny.
This is Schumers first outing on the big screen and she plays Amy, a modern girl in a modern world who takes what she wants with no apologies. Her motto ‘Monogamy isn’t realistic’ was taught to her by her father (Gordon, played by Colon Quinn) while he was explaining to Amy and her sister Kim (Brie Larson) why he and their mother were getting divorced, in an epic monologue using playing with many dolls as an example of why ‘monogamy isn’t realistic’.
Amy is dating, and while her boyfriend Steven (John Cena) appears to want to take their relationship to the next level, Amy is still sleeping around with other guys. Steven figures it out and they break up.
Amy is a writer for a magazine and due to her editors (Dianna, played by Tilda Swinton) twisted sense of how to get a good article, she assigns Amy to follow a sports surgeon named Aaron (Bill Hader). Amy hates sports, doesn’t see their point, and knows nothing about sports in general. She reluctantly accepts the assignment, because she is angling for an assistant editors position at the magazine.
What follows is moment after moment of laugh out loud scenes.
Schumer and the supporting cast are hilarious, and their interactions are, in my opinion, funny, smart, and at times poignant & emotional.
In the midst of the hilarity are parts of the story that are undeniably sad. I must admit I got teary eyed at the funeral scene commemorating Gordon’s life, and the humor was broken again during scenes of strife between Amy and Aaron.
I felt the movie flowed well, moving along at a good pace, and had a decent story. It was funny, and it had me laughing all the way through it. I liked that there was ‘more to it’ than just humor, and that it had some depth inside the relationship storylines.
I loved the movie. I would give Trainwreck 4.5 out of 5 stars.