Chrissy's Review
(8.5 out of 10 Lebrons)
I laughed, and laughed, and laughed some more. I am not sure if it was the wonderful writing and comedic timing of Amy Schumer, or the fact that I am the EXACT target audience for this movie, but either way I loved Trainwreck.
Amy and Bill Hadar were adorably funny together, and had me rooting for them to succeed in their budding relationship from moment one. They were cute, but not too cute, and were dealing with issues may of us have dealt with in our own lives. This made it easy to commiserate with the main characters as well as laugh with (and at them) while they muddled though the good and the bad.
To top off the great main cast, there were dozens of stars in cameo rolls. Some of which I had no idea were so funny.
Favorite Part: John Cena in the movie theater
Least Favorite Part: The slow start
Matt's Review
(8 out of 10 Martinis)
Trainwreck is a romantic comedy starring Amy Schumer, Bill Hader, Brie Larson, Colin Quinn - who is not only still alive but still working - and, of all people, LeBron fucking James. Schumer plays a magazine writer who, due to the morally ambiguous influence of her father (Quinn), has a habitual aversion to commitment and monogamy. That is, until she interviews - and begins to fall for - a prominent sports physician (Hader).
To be completely honest, I was very curious as to how this film would turn out. The label "Directed by Judd Apatow" does not inspire much confidence in me these days, and neither does the rom-com qualifier. And while Amy Schumer is undeniably hilarious, this is still her first crack at writing a full-length feature. On the other hand, all the details that have trickled down throughout the production hinted at a film that was on the right track and the cast - while large - is certainly not lacking in talent. While I couldn't help being excited, I went into Trainwreck fully expecting the finished product to be the very definition of its title. Fortunately, this is not the case.
I would like to start this off by heaping all of the praise on the cast in this film. Schumer is nothing short of delightful in the lead role. It seems almost redundant at this point to mention the laser-precision of her comedic delivery, but she is at the top of her game here. What surprised me, though, was how effectively she handled the more emotional portions of the story, outing herself after all these years as a legitimately solid actress all around. Equally surprising - in the best possibly way - was Hader's turn as the straight-man here. I've grown so accustomed to the over-the-top goofy characters he's played that his portrayal of a "regular guy" left me somewhat awestruck. I feel he pushed himself near to the limit of his abilities for this role, and appreciated every minute of it. Adding further more to the overall quality is the near-sarcastic level of chemistry the two leads had onscreen. The same can be said for each of the supporting players, at every level from secondary to the bit-parts and cameos. Brie Larson, Colin Quinn, Tilda Swinton (whom I didn't even recognize until after the credits rolled), Mike Birbiglia, John Cena (!), and - yes - even LeBron James, were all not only in their element but actually quite good.
Of course, the actors would not have been able to shine in the way they do were it not for a solid script. For her first shot at writing a feature film, Schumer actually did a relatively great job. After a setup that ran a little bit longer than was necessary, the movie was well-paced, tightly structured, well written, and uproarious throughout. However, that certainly doesn't mean it was perfect. While the humor and characterization were inventive, the story was beat-for-beat a textbook romantic comedy, following the established - if somewhat overplayed, at this point - formula. Within the context of the work as a whole this adherence to convention does not detract much from the overall experience, but is jarring after having experienced the barrage of advertising hailing how progressive this movie is. This traditionalism seems, in my opinion, to have even had an unfortunate effect on the story's morality at certain points. One - but not the only - example that comes to mind is a very conservative attitude toward recreational marijuana use that feels, well... out of place, honestly.
Don't let this be a factor to dissuade you from seeing this movie. While it has its faults - which can in all honestly not be considered "faults," per se, but honest mistakes of a first-time screenwriter. At it's heart, this is a charming, hilarious romantic comedy that, while inherently traditional, breathes new life into its respective genre and - with any luck - heralds a triumphant return to form for Apatow Productions.
I would like to start this off by heaping all of the praise on the cast in this film. Schumer is nothing short of delightful in the lead role. It seems almost redundant at this point to mention the laser-precision of her comedic delivery, but she is at the top of her game here. What surprised me, though, was how effectively she handled the more emotional portions of the story, outing herself after all these years as a legitimately solid actress all around. Equally surprising - in the best possibly way - was Hader's turn as the straight-man here. I've grown so accustomed to the over-the-top goofy characters he's played that his portrayal of a "regular guy" left me somewhat awestruck. I feel he pushed himself near to the limit of his abilities for this role, and appreciated every minute of it. Adding further more to the overall quality is the near-sarcastic level of chemistry the two leads had onscreen. The same can be said for each of the supporting players, at every level from secondary to the bit-parts and cameos. Brie Larson, Colin Quinn, Tilda Swinton (whom I didn't even recognize until after the credits rolled), Mike Birbiglia, John Cena (!), and - yes - even LeBron James, were all not only in their element but actually quite good.
Of course, the actors would not have been able to shine in the way they do were it not for a solid script. For her first shot at writing a feature film, Schumer actually did a relatively great job. After a setup that ran a little bit longer than was necessary, the movie was well-paced, tightly structured, well written, and uproarious throughout. However, that certainly doesn't mean it was perfect. While the humor and characterization were inventive, the story was beat-for-beat a textbook romantic comedy, following the established - if somewhat overplayed, at this point - formula. Within the context of the work as a whole this adherence to convention does not detract much from the overall experience, but is jarring after having experienced the barrage of advertising hailing how progressive this movie is. This traditionalism seems, in my opinion, to have even had an unfortunate effect on the story's morality at certain points. One - but not the only - example that comes to mind is a very conservative attitude toward recreational marijuana use that feels, well... out of place, honestly.
Don't let this be a factor to dissuade you from seeing this movie. While it has its faults - which can in all honestly not be considered "faults," per se, but honest mistakes of a first-time screenwriter. At it's heart, this is a charming, hilarious romantic comedy that, while inherently traditional, breathes new life into its respective genre and - with any luck - heralds a triumphant return to form for Apatow Productions.
