Before there was “Inside Amy Schumer” on Comedy Central and before Amy Schumer was covering every magazine, hosting the MTV Movie Awards and becoming a household name, I was listening to her comedy in my Spotify rotation. I can’t remember the first time I heard her comedy, but listening to bits here and there, her edgy, no holds barred style had my howling. However, when I tried to listen to one of her comedy albums in its entirety I realized there can be too much Amy Schumer at once. This was my chief concern walking into Trainwreck, which Schumer wrote before teaming with director Judd Apatow to polish up the script and deliver the final product we now see on screen. Fortunately, there’s just the right amount of Amy Schumer, but there is too much movie for the small story Trainwreck sets out to tell.
Like virtually all of Apatow’s films, Trainwreck is too long, filled with scenes, plot lines and alternate takes that should have been cut or excised from the story to create a tighter, faster-paced narrative. And once the film is established there is only so much story left to tell, but instead of just telling it Apatow leaves in little bits here and there that should have otherwise found the cutting room floor.
Schumer stars as Amy, a girl that’s grown up with a disdain for monogamy, stemming from lessons her father (Colin Quinn) taught her and her sister (Brie Larson) just before he left their mother when they were only children.
Now, all grown up, Amy scoffs at monogamy, steps out after she’s had her fun and is living life to the fullest in a role often reserved for leading men with women left to play the objects of men’s desires. That said, you still get the impression she’s ignoring the little voice in the back of her head telling her she wants something more as the closest thing she has to a relationship is with a muscle-bound doofus played hilariously by John Cena who is more than game for whatever Schumer and Apatow throw his way. What that “more” actually is she isn’t quite sure, though she seems quite certain the family life her sister seems so rooted in isn’t for her.
Professionally, Amy works as a writer for a men’s magazine when she’s assigned a story writing about Aaron Conners (Bill Hader) a high profile sports doctor to the stars. Based on the set up you can see where all of this is going and Schumer and Apatow have written solid characters for both her and Hader to play and play off of.
In addition to the obvious romance that will bud between Amy and Aaron, Schumer must deal with her eccentric boss, a performance from Tilda Swinton that would probably be better suited for something along the lines of Zoolander but is welcomed here, and relies on her sister for a shoulder to cry on and still looks for logic from her aging father, spending his final days in a retirement home. On the other side, Hader’s sounding boards are his clients, most prominently LeBron James playing himself to wonderful comedic effect.
All of this, plus the real world struggles Amy and her sister face when it comes to their father, the cost of his retirement home and more, make this film not only comedic, but effectively dramatic. In fact, there was no questioning Schumer’s ability for comedy, but whether she could actually act and pull off any measure of drama was up for question. At least it was until we reach a certain point in Trainwreck where it’s quite obvious she has all the chops and talent to become a modern age, raunchier version of Claudette Colbert.
Beyond star appeal, Schumer is also relatable. You feel she’s of this world, a real person dealing with real issues. Of course, this is a movie and certain situations are elevated for both comedic and dramatic effect, but even then Schumer’s character navigated this territory as most anyone would. An ability to connect with the audience in this regard is rare and hopefully we’ll see much more of this soon.
What wasn’t needed was a side-story involving Ezra Miller or the incredibly out-of-left-field intervention scene. Dave Attell plays a homeless person that’s marked his territory right outside Amy’s New York apartment and his contributions are slim to none, particularly narratively. Trainwreck runs two hours long and there’s maybe 90 minutes of material here, but such is the Apatow way. Unfortunately it turns everything he works on into a vanity piece, a “look at me” kind of movie. The mark of a director shouldn’t be the excess left in their films, but their ability to capture the audience’s attention without having to force feed additional content or jokes, because in the end those jokes fall flat and the excess tiresome. Does Apatow have something against 90 minute movies? Are movies “better” if they run two hours?
Nevertheless, Trainwreck is Apatow’s best film since 2005’s The 40 Year-Old Virgin. It’s also the best he’s done at mixing actual drama and comedy as he has attempted to tip his toes in both waters as of late to little (Funny People) or no (This is 40) success, but much of this I attribute to Schumer who shines throughout this film and keeps every scene watchable.
By the film’s end you’re actually smiling and happy for her character during what is a legitimately corny scene, but that’s the effect she has on the film and the audience, allowing us to give ourselves over, not be afraid to make a fool of ourselves and enjoy something a little silly, taking the piss out of life and having a good laugh without having to try too hard.
