"This Makes Me Wish They'd Found My Father's Remains."
Amy Schumer and Judd Apatow: a delightful comedic duo…provided that you’re their intended audience.
I’m in the camp of people who are happy about Amy Schumer’s recent run of success. Her comedy comes under fire a good amount for being less inclusive than it pretends to be, but on the whole I find Schumer to be a smart, energetic, gutsy comedian who totally deserves attention. This all being said, “Trainwreck”, while a good piece of writing on its own, was certainly aided by the rest of her creative team. Apatow’s direction gives focus towards small character moments and the awkward universality of being an adult in the 2010’s that grounds the comedy and keeps it from going off course. The script is somewhat aimless at times, which I find relaxing, but the overall pacing of the film helps the audience accept its wanderer’s spirit and believe that its minutiae will pay off to reveal a larger whole. The cast is mostly comprised of modern-day clowns who all get a great workout, including basketball star Lebron James (he’s funny. Who knew?). Scenes that seem expository on paper are elevated by beautiful moments of physical comedy that drew multiple belly laughs from myself and the rest of the audience.
This all being said, “Trainwreck” is working within a limited framework, tooling with the audience expectation of a romantic comedy, and generally it stays within those expectations. The writing and the cast, however, do small things to subvert these expectations. Amy Schumer and Bill Hader have a nice, relaxed chemistry on screen, and are both given ample opportunity to shine as actors by themselves and as a unit. Moreover, they feel like a REAL couple. Their romance doesn’t feel forced, and that’s mostly because their romance isn’t the true focus of the film. Schumer’s character (also named Amy) has a LOT going on in her life at the beginning of the story, and each aspect of her life ebbs and flows dramatically within its runtime (hence the title). Her father is deathly ill, her boss is putting pressure on her to succeed, and her carefully maintained sex life has just gotten a wrench thrown in it. That’s more than most people have to deal with ever.
More than a traditional rom-com, this is a film about the inevitability of disaster, and how part of becoming an adult is learning how to cope with setbacks. It’s this sense of emotional maturity that struck me while I was watching this film; after an hour of jokes about sex and relationships, I was not expecting themes about grief and loss and rising above your own toxic behaviors to enter into the story, but they did and they breathed life into what could have been another “boy-meets-girl” set-up. Add the layers of emotional depth to the tiny subversions to the rom-com genre (Schumer’s idea of a “grand romantic gesture” will have you rolling in the aisles) and it adds up to a fresh, spirited take on a tired, worn-out style.
“Trainwreck” is a surprisingly thoughtful, yet still funny, film that brings the best of Apatow and Schumer to the big screen. Even if you think you know what you’re getting, it’s still worth a watch. You might cry. Like I did. A lot. Amy Schumer made me cry. Oh God, what’s my life becoming?
Drink:
Anything, really, but Amy seems to favor straight bourbon or white wine.
Possible Rules:
-Drink for sports references (team names, player names, other inside jokes)
-Drink for sight/mention of Amy’s sexual exploits
-Drink for arguments
-Drink for off-color humor. I’m casting a wide net, I now, you’ll know it when you see it.
-Drink when someone drops the title of an article or magazine.
This review was written by Hollis Beck (Krissy Pappau). “Trainwreck “ is produced by Apatow Productions, and distributed by Universal Pictures. The film is rated “R” with a run time of 125 minutes.
Special thanks to my patrons, Caroline Kittredge Faustine, Kaela Mei-Shing Garvin and Antonia Beck. Your support helped make this article happen!
This all being said, “Trainwreck” is working within a limited framework, tooling with the audience expectation of a romantic comedy, and generally it stays within those expectations. The writing and the cast, however, do small things to subvert these expectations. Amy Schumer and Bill Hader have a nice, relaxed chemistry on screen, and are both given ample opportunity to shine as actors by themselves and as a unit. Moreover, they feel like a REAL couple. Their romance doesn’t feel forced, and that’s mostly because their romance isn’t the true focus of the film. Schumer’s character (also named Amy) has a LOT going on in her life at the beginning of the story, and each aspect of her life ebbs and flows dramatically within its runtime (hence the title). Her father is deathly ill, her boss is putting pressure on her to succeed, and her carefully maintained sex life has just gotten a wrench thrown in it. That’s more than most people have to deal with ever.
More than a traditional rom-com, this is a film about the inevitability of disaster, and how part of becoming an adult is learning how to cope with setbacks. It’s this sense of emotional maturity that struck me while I was watching this film; after an hour of jokes about sex and relationships, I was not expecting themes about grief and loss and rising above your own toxic behaviors to enter into the story, but they did and they breathed life into what could have been another “boy-meets-girl” set-up. Add the layers of emotional depth to the tiny subversions to the rom-com genre (Schumer’s idea of a “grand romantic gesture” will have you rolling in the aisles) and it adds up to a fresh, spirited take on a tired, worn-out style.
“Trainwreck” is a surprisingly thoughtful, yet still funny, film that brings the best of Apatow and Schumer to the big screen. Even if you think you know what you’re getting, it’s still worth a watch. You might cry. Like I did. A lot. Amy Schumer made me cry. Oh God, what’s my life becoming?
Drink:
Anything, really, but Amy seems to favor straight bourbon or white wine.
Possible Rules:
-Drink for sports references (team names, player names, other inside jokes)
-Drink for sight/mention of Amy’s sexual exploits
-Drink for arguments
-Drink for off-color humor. I’m casting a wide net, I now, you’ll know it when you see it.
-Drink when someone drops the title of an article or magazine.
This review was written by Hollis Beck (Krissy Pappau). “Trainwreck “ is produced by Apatow Productions, and distributed by Universal Pictures. The film is rated “R” with a run time of 125 minutes.
Special thanks to my patrons, Caroline Kittredge Faustine, Kaela Mei-Shing Garvin and Antonia Beck. Your support helped make this article happen!
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