Review: Trainwreck

Here are my two cents on the movie 'Trainwreck', directed by Judd Apatow.

I am writing this review for the second time, by the way, since the first completed draft somehow deleted itself when I posted it.

For starters, 'Trainwreck' is Apatow's fifth directorial effort (after 'The 40-Year-Old Virgin', 'Knocked Up', Funny People', and 'This is 40') and his twenty-eighth film project, overall. It's a noticeable departure from his previous films considering that it features none of his usual players (Paul Rudd, Seth Rogen, Leslie Mann (his wife), Jonah Hill, Will Ferrell, Jason Segel, etc...) and is the first film that he's directed but not written (Amy Schumer, the film's star, wrote the film).

The film has received generally positive reviews by both critics and general audiences, alike. The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, has given it an 86% approval rating, based on 152 reviews, with a rating average of 7.2/10. On Metacritic, the film has achieved a score of 75 (out of 100), based on 41 critics, while IMDb (The Internet Movie Database) gives the film a score of 6.8 (out of 10), based on 167 critics and 126 users (all as of August 9, 2015).

The story revolves around our main character, Amy Townsend (Amy Schumer), who, thanks to the misguided influence of her anti-monogamist father (Colin Quinn), has chosen to unbind herself from the “unrealistic” cultural boundaries of sexual temperance. By this, I mean that she spends her free time engaging in regular one-night stands with countless quantities of men, a lifestyle that is very much unlike that of her younger sister’s ((Brie Larson) who is married, has a stepson, and is expecting a child of her own). A fact that is a source of discomfort for Amy, at least, until she is assigned, by her magazine editor boss (played by a very tanned Tilda Swinton), the task of interviewing a high profile sports doctor, Aaron Conners (Bill Hader), who leads into her first potentially stable romantic relationship. But can she keep her job,maintain positive relations with her sister and (now physically handicapped) father, and hold onto this strange, new, wonderful romance at the same time (especially without deconstructing her entire look on life)?

WWE’s John Cena, Vanessa Bayer (Saturday Night Live), Ezra Miller (The Perks of Being a Wallflower), and the NBA’s LeBron James (in a particularly memorable role) also feature prominently in the film.

What did I think of the film? I enjoyed it, considerably. It was a very refreshing departure from the summer-long string of big-budget blockbusters and animated films that usually dominate my time at the movies during the warmer months. Of course, it was also a very well-made comedy. Gone were the sloppy sight gags and unfunny one-liners that plague many of today’s big-hitter comedies. In their place were cleverly-written scenes featuring well-developed characters and a delightful sprinkle of sweetness and warmth to accompany all the much-deserved laughter.

The film’s primary strength is its lead. Amy Schumer has managed to both write and star as a character who, while showcasing behaviors that reflect a great degree of impulsivity and insecurity, showcases real strength and integrity through overcoming key personal challenges that are relative to challenges we all(as individuals) face in life.

There are faults, however. Besides the fact that Amy is hardly a ‘trainwreck’ of a human being at any point of the film (her actions are not condoned by me – but are hardly condemnable), the movie presents itself in a way that suggests that it’s sense of originality and edginess is as strong as its sense of humour when, in fact, those who frequently watch the televised antics of Amy Schumer might find this film to be a bit unoriginal and tame (by comparison). Of course, being a person who does not regularly partake in the watching of media that pushes the boundaries of good taste, this issue is nearly non-existent for me. So, yes. I just made the one fault that I could fine in the film into a positive thing. Sometimes I hate being the eternal optimist.

To conclude, I’d give ‘Trainwreck’ a rating of 8 out of 10.

Thank you for reading my review. Please feel free to comment below and share it (with whomever you please) if you enjoyed it.