Movie Review: “Trainwreck”
Girl meets boy. Girl gets drunk with boy. Boy wants to date girl. Girl freaks out.
Confused? Read on.
Director Judd Apatow has been around the block with hit comedies full of crass language and innuendos; his past works including Bridesmaids, Knocked Up, and The Forty-Year Old Virgin. This soon-to-be blockbuster (I’m calling it) follows a familiar fashion but comes with a new angle. Amy Schumer plays a successful magazine writer named Amy, who is a complete role-reversal of the stereotypical character we tend to see. She was coached into believing that monogamy is not realistic. That advice comes from dear old Dad when she and her younger sister Kim were informed about their parents upcoming divorce. Amy is proud to follow this mantra, incorporating it into her daily routine until her boss gives her a special assignment. Bill Hader’s character, Dr. Aaron Connors, is a medical surgeon who focuses on sports-related injuries for prominent teams, including the New York Knicks. Amy’s assignment is to interview Connors and do a high-profile piece on how he is revolutionizing recovery surgeries. Following their awkward meeting in his office to a then wild night out, Connors becomes infatuated with Amy. He calls her the following day to ask her out on a proper date. Amy reacts with horror at the prospect of a man wanting to pursue a traditional relationship with her. It all spirals from there in a hilarious romantic comedy that is slammed with jokes and breathtaking wit.
Schumer and Hader have a chemistry that is unexpectedly charming. You cannot help but root for Hader’s character to win over the girl. Schumer does an incredible job at portraying a sexually obsessed female while demanding the audience’s attention even at her lowest moments. Hader represents what most women look for – a really good guy with an awkward sense of humor that is endearing. Honestly, I am still swooning from Hader’s performance and hope this is his big break into future projects.
Potter fans have something to look forward to in the form of a cameo from Daniel Radcliffe as the film reveals what he was doing walking around with all those dogs months ago. Radcliffe is seen in a film that Amy and one of her beaus sees at the cinema. The scene is a corny, overdramatized film montage where he discusses his dog-walking talents. None the less, it is still nice to see Radcliffe on the big screen, and you will get a few laughs out of it.
In addition to the performance, the movie is smart and taught me something about myself. I was pleasantly surprised to learn during the credits that Schumer wrote the film, not only because there are so few Hollywood productions written by women but also because the script depicts a woman who is satisfied and confident with her loose, non-existent relationship style and hard-drinking habits. This is not one of those films where the girl pines for her dream guy but does nothing about it waiting for him to bump into her outside a coffee shop one day. Film goers are experiencing something different as they watch the guy chase after someone weighed down by excessive baggage.
The film is nowhere near perfect as it hits a few sour notes, and they could have cut down on one or two crude jokes, but essentially the packed theater was laughing from start to finish. For Schumer’s first leading lady gig, she nails it as any fan of hers would expect. For those who don’t know her name yet, this is merely the beginning of her acting career. A word of caution with an ‘R’ rating, this is not one for the younger crowd, and it may give your mom or grandma a flushed face with the nudity and sexual acts. It’s not going to win any feminist awards by any notion, but it shows that sometimes girls just wanna have fun.
I give this movie four heart-eye and three crying-laughing emojis. Also, five red hearts to Amy Schumer and Bill Hader. Seriously, who would have thought that pairing would work as well as it did?
Trainwreck opens in major theatres on July 17 from Universal Studios.