Move Review: 'Trainwreck'
By Bill Wine
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Two comedy forces to be reckoned with team up in Trainwreck and the result is anything but.
Judd Apatow, the writer, producer, and director of influential comedies for screens big and small over the last couple decades – with such films as The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up, Funny People, and This is 40 -- has introduced more than his share of major comic talents to the movie audience.
He provides that service yet again as the producer and director of a film written by and starring Amy Schumer, who has become a comedy icon of her own in recent years with her TV sketch series, Inside Amy Schumer, and envelope-pushing standup act, both replete with sexual candor and forthrightness.
Trainwreck seems to be Apatow's attempt to bring Schumer's unique comic voice, with its it's-about-time commitment to gender reversal, to the big screen, with Apatow's own comedic stamp present but blended into the background. And he largely succeeds.
Schumer stars as a thirtysomething named – what else? – Amy, a promiscuous and commitment-phobic men's-magazine writer in New York City who, as a child of divorce, doesn't believe in monogamy. Despite hating sports, she meets a sports doctor played by Bill Hader, whom she is assigned to write a profile of and with whom, following what she thinks is a one-night stand, she finds herself uncharacteristically falling in love.
Basketball superstar LeBron James plays himself in a supporting role that is much more than a cameo and will raise a few eyebrows on folks who thought all he was good at was basketball; if you saw him host Saturday Night Live, you knew otherwise.
But he's not alone. The spirited ensemble supporting cast includes Tilda Swinton, Brie Larson, Colin Quinn, Mike Birbiglia, Vanessa Bayer, John Cena, Marisa Tomei, Leslie Jones, Matthew Broderick as himself, Daniel Radcliffe, Jim Norton, Method Man, Norman Lloyd, and Barkhad Abdi, Jon Glaser, and sportscaster Marv Albert.
Although Apatow rightfully concentrates on his two leads, he, aided by Schumer's funny, poignant, and perceptive debut screenplay, allows most of his supporting players moments, or even full scenes, in which to shine, especially – who knew they could play comedy so adroitly? – B-baller James, wrestler Cena, and ex-SNL newsdesk jockey Quinn.
Among his other directorial gifts, Apatow sure knows how to get strong, unself-conscious work from a number of folks not known primarily as comedic actors.
As for the endearing Schumer, whom we already knew was funny and blessed with superb comic timing, she's also a natural screen actress who can deliver the emotional truth of a moment or situation, and Hader – whom we also already knew was funny -- demonstrates easily that his stellar dramatic work in The Skeleton Twins was no fluke. And the chemistry between them is just what the doctor -- and the film -- ordered.
For Apatow, this is the first movie he has directed that he did not also write. But his familiar and winning formula of raunchy humor and considerable heart scores again.
So we'll commit to 3-1/2 stars out of 4 for the affecting R-rated comedy, Trainwreck, which pulls into the station loaded with laughs. Open-minded romcom lovers should be all aboard.