Trainwreck is yet another consistently funny movie from the Judd Apatow factory, but this time, he’s not the on-screen credited writer – that distinction belongs to fearless star of the moment Amy Schumer, who more than proves she can play in the vulgar big leagues of the polished studio comedy. There’s nothing revolutionary about the narrative – it’s the same story you’ve see in countless romantic comedies, except this time, the norms and expectations are reversed and upended to some degree, with Schumer’s bracing sense of sarcastic deadpan on total display all throughout. She’s matched perfectly by Bill Hader, who is a comic genius in my estimation; his timing is virtually peerless and he’s able to elicit laughs just by being in a room. There are a FLOOD of hysterical cameos from a roll call of actors, celebs, and sports stars, with Lebron James and John Cena both getting HUGE laughs and the lovely Brie Larson doing the dramatic lifting as Schumer’s more responsible sister. If you’ve seen the ads, you know the film revolves around a promiscuous and socially rebellious woman (Schumer) who finally meets her match in the form of a sports physician (Hader) – there’s a “meet cute,” some montages, some arguments and misunderstandings that need be cleared up – but the way that all of it plays out has a great sense of heart and a near constant sense of aggressive humor and charming spirit. And I will say, Schumer does deliver in her few dramatic moments, grounding the piece with a level of emotional believability that counterbalances some of the over the top aspects to the horseplay. Apatow has also always been a comedy director who actually CARES about how his films look; Jody Lee Lipes’ 2.35:1 cinematography is pleasantly pleasing without ever being flashy, as his work also demonstrated on Afterschool and Martha Marcy May Marlene. And I’d be remiss in mentioning MASSIVE Tilda Swinton POWER as Schumer’s over the top boss – who knew she was that hot?! The finale is well conceived, the laughs are nearly endless either in an out loud or quietly-to-yourself manner, and it’s hard to resist a movie that has an awesome male-on-female oral-sex joke right at the top of the narrative. Also, lots of Dave Attell and Colin Quinn POWER.
Podcasting Them Softly 