Director: Judd Apatow

Starring: Amy Schumer, Bill Hader, Brie Larson, Tilda Swinton, John Cena, LeBron James

Running Time: 2 hours 2 minutes 

Rating: 15

Release Date: 14th August, 2015

Judd Apatow‘s talent for conjuring up a new kind of romantic comedy has been solidified with past hits such as KNOCKED UP and THE 40 YEAR OLD VIRGIN; blending a mix of classic cheesy romance with a wicked sense of humour that brings in a wide audience of otherwise reluctant romantics. Having also produced the likes of BRIDESMAIDS, GET HIM TO THE GREEK, FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL and SUPERBAD, he’s teamed up with some brilliant, big comedic talents and his next film pairing is none other than the hilarious Amy Schumer. 

With Schumer on writing duties and Apatow in the director’s chair, their romcom baby TRAINWRECK tells the story of fun loving Amy (Schumer) and her unique relationship with, well…relationships. When it comes to love, Amy and her sister Kim (Brie Larson) didn’t have the traditional story or message carefully portrayed to them as kids, as their Father’s favorite mantra, “monogamy isnt’ realistic”, was drilled into their young minds.

With this in mind, the two girls grow up to have some pretty conflicting ideals on the perfect relationship. While Kim quickly settles down with a loving family, Amy prefers to experience all the delights of singledom, every night, all the time…with booze involved. Perfect, no? Apparently not, because when she meets mild mannered but charming sports doctor Aaron (Bill Hader), her entire experience with (non) relationships leads to a, you guessed it; trainwreck of a first love. 

With a running time of just over two hours, TRAINWRECK feels around half an hour too long; not an unfamiliar trait with Apatow’s other features. This does hinder the film’s overall emotional and comedic impact as audience find their limbs getting restless; as the movie’s second begins to drag. Alongside this, the basic narrative isn’t particularly unique or full of shocking revelations, but it does follow many of the traditional codes and conventions any romcom fan will enjoy. For those of you less fond of the more cheesy moments, TRAINWRECK exquisitely explores female based comedy that not only ensures satisfied, full on belly laughs but also some pretty hilarious “did she really say that?!” gasps too. 

Schumer’s genuine talent as a writer is wonderfully presented as the side story of Amy and Kim’s relationship with their sick Father is particularly heartwarming. There are sobering, sad moments and these feel utterly genuine; a difficult feat in the midst of such a whacky comedic setting. Schumer’s talent as a writer is displayed further as the script proves to be wonderfully salacious, really tapping in to a contemporary kind of humour that feels so refreshing coming out a woman’s mouth; something that will definitely resonate with a UK female audience. 

This kind of feminist humour is reflected throughout Amy’s character and there really is a very realistic representation of a particular woman of today. She’s hilarious and not afraid to be, self deprecating yet totally confident and while Amy’s character clearly has her issues, there’s still a sense of self awareness and drive that brings her heightened sense of self back down to Earth. 

Schumer’s performance totally dominates the film, but there are a few scene stealers from some unlikely cast members. Basketball hero LeBron James is absolutely brilliant at playing an alternative self and slips into this supporting role with impressive ease. Some of the best lines are delivered by James and the duo he makes with Bill Hader is both sweet and amusing. Having only really featured in cameos and sketches in the likes of SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE and ENTOURAGE, James does a pretty great job of taking on a bigger role, playing a very lovable and hilarious character.

Alongside James, famous wrestler John Cena gives a truly hilarious performance as Amy’s more frequented partners and gives way for some seriously big laugh moments. His comedic timing is genuinely impressive and he embodies a really great, funny character. Cena actually fuels one of the film’s funniest scenes as we see his muscle clad character Steven explore the kinkier side of training when he attempts to ‘talk dirty’ to Amy. The scene is brilliantly written and perfectly played out, setting out the tone for the entire movie.

The difficult thing about TRAINWRECK is that Apatow’s direction has never been as strong as his writing or producing and the issues with pace and running time does distract from actual audience enjoyment. However, there are moments that scream classic Apatow and they’re brilliant. Still, this is totally Schumer’s triumph and the combination of her brilliant writing and hilarious performance is what audience members are going to leave the theatre talking about. There’s no doubt that TRAINWRECK will find a happy home with a UK audience, with Schumer proudly and deservedly wearing the crown as new Queen of Comedy. 

Verdict

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