140 Character Movie Review – #140RVW
Schumer’s unique voice is as sharp as ever & she gets to show some real heart. Too bad it’s an Apatow joint, which means it’s far too long.
Spoiler-free Movie Review of Trainwreck:
I absolutely love Amy Schumer. She is an incredible voice for change at a time when we need it. She follows a long line of comedians whose true gift lies in covertly shining a light on the injustices and prejudices of our society, disarming resistance by being pee-your-pants funny. I believe in time she will be as held in the same light as Lenny Bruce, Dick Gregory, George Carlin, Richard Pryor, or more recent comics like Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele.
The Comedy Central show, Inside Amy Schumer, is a fantastic showcase for the comic, who utilizes a raunchy irreverence to great effect, though even the program suffers from the hit-or-miss nature of all sketch shows. Even so, her talent wasn’t going to be limited to the small screen, so a feature was inevitable. Sadly, she has the mixed blessing of the attention of Judd Apatow.
Look, I’m not hating on Apatow; he’s a next-level talent at crafting comedy who has more than earned his success and certainly doesn’t need or want my approval. It’s just that his stuff is so damn long. Frequent visitors to this site are surely growing tired of my screeds about run-time, but I can’t help it – the length of a film has a direct relationship to the success of the picture. I can no more overlook a poorly edited feature than I could ignore poor acting.
Each Apatow directed film seems to be less funny than the previous picture, while also being longer. That’s not totally true – the run-time kept increasing sizably through Funny People but has slimmed a hair since. And it’s not completely fair to say that the films are less funny; they just feel less funny because the quality material is spread too thin.
Trainwreck may be the most blatant victim, or perhaps its merely the freshest. Because I had a great time with the picture, until I didn’t. If you had measured my laughter during the film, you’d be amazed at how blasé I was about Trainwreck on my way out of the theater. By the end, the picture made me so weary that I nearly forgot how good it was.
Like nearly every comic’s debut film, Trainwreck is a semi-autobiographical tale, filled with material from the act. While these pictures always crib from the comic’s set, the good ones rise above a simple collection of one-liners. Think The Jerk as opposed to 48 Hrs.; the former is sublime, the latter is simply a good start. Trainwreck is a success of the first variety.
Schumer stars as, well, herself, mostly. A free spirit since being instructed by her father (Colin Quinn) that monogamy is unrealistic, Amy bounces from hookup to hookup, never getting attached, in stark contrast to her married sister Kim (Brie Larson). Amy hopes to be a journalist, but has hitched her wagon to a juvenile men’s magazine, S’Nuff, run by a comically overacted Tilda Swinton. When she is assigned to do a feature on a nice-guy sports doctor, Aaron Connors (Bill Hader), her life outlook begins to change.
The leads, Schumer & Hader, are marvelous together. It’s clearly Schumer’s show, and she is non-stop fun, but Hader gets some good scenes as Bill Hader.
The cameos in the film are simply amazing, which happens when you are as hot as Schumer and Apatow. I’m not going to spoil them here, but trust me, there are some really good ones.
But the biggest praise goes to the supporting cast. The picture is nearly stolen by Colin Quinn, who is lovable in spite of playing a total jerk, leading to the films most touching moments. Yes, there are touching moments in the picture, and Schumer is actually quite moving in her scenes with her ailing father. This relationship mirrors the comedienne’s personal life, and is crucial in elevating the picture.
Now that I think about it, the picture is really nearly stolen by LeBron James, who deserves the praise he is getting for his turn as Aaron’s best friend, LeBron James. And I’m a Celtics fan, so you know I hate that guy. Well, he ruins that for me, because he is an absolute blast in Trainwreck, showing a sense of humor and charm that is completely disarming. (Chris Rock wrote some of the jokes on set.)
No, the film is really stolen by John Cena. I’d seen the wrestler in a guest appearance on Psych a few years back, so I knew he was charismatic and likable. (What sort of training do they do over at the wrestling sausage factory? Guys like Dwayne Johnson and Cena seem to know exactly how to handle themselves, putting off a sense of humor about themselves that seems never to diminish them. Impressive.) Cena bares all figuratively and literally and absolutely steals the show.
No, wait, it’s actually nearly stolen by Norman Lloyd, who at 99 is more vital than most of his co-stars.
Whatever. You get the point. There’s some great performances. And that’s what makes the film so good. It’s simply a good half an hour too long. I can’t wait to see Schumer’s next feature…
Poster:
Trailer:
Bechdel Test:
Pass
The Representation Test Score: B (9 pts)
(http://therepresentationproject.org/grading-hollywood-the-representation-test/)
| Main Cast | Amy Schumer Amy Bill Hader Aaron Brie Larson Kim Colin Quinn Gordon |
| Rating | R |
| Release Date | Fri 17 Jul 2015 UTC |
| Director | Judd Apatow |
| Genres | Comedy |
| Plot | Having thought that monogamy was never possible, a commitment-phobic career woman may have to face her fears when she meets a good guy. |
| Poster |  |
| Runtime | 125 |
| Tagline | All aboard |
| Writers | Amy Schumer (written by) |
| Year | 2015 |
