Trainwreck is a successful collaboration
between Amy Schumer, the writer and star, and Judd Apatow, the director, and
blends together their type of humor.
I personally think Schumer elevates what Apatow might do, although she
is considered pretty raw herself.
Judd saw Schumer on one of Howard Stern’s shows, and their collaboration
began soon after that when he read a script she was writing and essentially
taught her how it’s done, encouraging her to write about what was going on in
her life. It was the first version
of this film, and when I saw its current version at the SXSW Film Festival, it was still being
called a work in progress.
I
love the way the movie opens (as seen in the preview) with Amy’s father
announcing to his two daughters (of about ages 7 and 5) that “Monogamy is not
realistic!” Of course, Amy the
younger had no idea what the term meant then, but by the time she is a young
adult, she has taken his philosophy about marriage to heart, and diligently
plays the field, ditching any man who starts to get too close. The story is about how that’s working
out for her.
She
is convinced that she loves her life and her work, which is writing for a men’s
magazine, and is excited about an assignment given to her by her gutsy,
unpredictable boss Dianna (Swinton, once again hardly recognizable). The assignment is to get a profile of
sports doctor Aaron Conners
(Hader), a rising star in sports medicine with LeBron James as one of
his patients. She meets Conners,
they hit it off, and begin a hot romance.
Amy is unprepared for the depth of feeling that arises across time, and
tests her basic philosophy to its limits with great comedic and passionate
force.
The
film is not all comedy and froth; characteristic of Apatow’s films, the
characters spend some time with real-life issues and character-changing
moments. So Amy’s growing
knowledge of herself and her relationship with her sister (Larson) and her
father in the nursing home provide opportunities for some soul-enriching,
insightful moments that give the film more substance.
Schumer
is a talented actress, and Hader is just as successful here in a dramatic role
as he was in a similar drama-comedy, Skeleton
Twins. Supporting cast
(Larson, Swinton, Bayer) keep the quality high, as well as the “non-actors”
LeBron James, along with Amar’e Stoudemire, Tony Romo, and Chris Evert in cameo
roles.
Good Schumer humor.
No comments:
Post a Comment