Director: Judd Apatow.
Cast: Amy Schumer, Bill Hader, Brie Larson, Tilda Swinton.
Running Time: 125 Minutes.
When the raunchy romantic comedy first gained popularity in the ’90s, they were seen as a way to sort of reinvigorate the genre and gain a larger audience. Some of the attempts at this subgenre have been quite successful, most notably Judd Apatow’s Knocked Up and the Farrelly Brother’s gem There’s Something About Mary . But with every great idea in cinema comes the not so great knock offs, I’m looking at you Good Luck Chuck. Luckily for Trainwreck, it doesn’t belong in the latter category and proves to be one of the funnier movies released this year.
We’re first introduced to the main character, Amy, at nine years old. Her parents’ marriage is seemingly falling apart and her father passes on the advice that “monogamy is not realistic.” Fast forward about twenty or twenty five years later and Amy (Amy Schumer) seems to have taken his advice very seriously, though her sister (played wonderfully by Brie Larson) has not. Amy writes for a successful magazine, has an active social life and doesn’t think that a monogamous relationship is a realistic idea. She has, what she assumes is, a no strings attached relationship with an obviously closeted John Cena. Her boss (an unrecognisable Tilda Swinton) gives her an assignment to write a piece on a sports doctor, Aaron (Bill Hader.) The two end up spending the night together. You can probably see where this is going, but honestly it’s not as cheesy as it sounds. The two embark on a relationship, despite Amy’s reservations about commitment.
Amy Schumer is relatively new to the film industry, but here she proves her worth as both the film’s lead and screenwriter. The film contains more than a few laugh-out-loud moments, and most are thanks to Schumer. It contains the same cringe inducing humour that Bridesmaids had, and is just as funny. Schumer shows the same bravery that Kristen Wiig once did and isn’t afraid to make light of herself as she takes part in two of the most cringe worthy, but you can’t look away, sex scenes of the year.
Tilda Swinton steals the show, which is not an easy task, as Amy’s blonde and ridiculously tanned boss, Dianna. When you think of Tilda Swinton, the description given above is not the one that would normally come to mind when you think of the British actress. Swinton proves herself to be a true chameleon of the screen with this performance that is nothing short of hilarious. Apatow has assembled a great cast that are completely game for the raunchy comedy. Watch out for very strange cameos from Daniel Radcliffe and Marisa Tomei as the stars of a weird art house film.
Verdict: Fresh and hilarious, this is the romantic comedy you’ve been waiting for. Amy Schumer teamed with a very talented cast result in the best comedy of this sort since Bridesmaids.
4.5/5
Alex O’Meara
To see what other films have Alex’s seal of approval, click the seal of approval below.
