Currently holding the baton of the-one-woman-we’re-all-comfortable-admitting-is-funny, Amy Schumer is making the most of her deserved time in the spotlight. Her stand up has always been on point, and her show Inside Amy Schumer has consistently improved since first airing (the 12 Angry Men episode with Jeff Goldblum and Paul Giamatti was phenomenal). And after small roles in Price Check and Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, her first starring role comes with Trainwreck, which she also wrote.
It unfortunately bears the hallmarks of its director Judd Apatow, in that it’s about half an hour too long (although mercilessly not as long as the disgustingly self-indulgent This Is 40) but it has a decent enough cast and is ballsy enough with its subject matter to achieve a passing grade in the current comedic film climate.
Amy (Schumer) is a journalist and bacchanalian wild-girl who drinks heavily and freely enjoys one-night stands. Her deep mistrust of monogamy and shallow view of her surroundings is inherited from her father (a brilliant Colin Quinn). Her life changes when she is assigned to write an article of sports doctor Aaron (Bill Hader), with whom she quickly falls in love.
As with too many modern comedies, Trainwreck is full of cameos, mostly from sports stars, like John Cena and LeBron James, on account of Aaron’s line of work. Though, for the first time that I’ve seen, they kind of work beyond a single one-liner and an excuse for the marketing team to say they’re in the film. Cena is pretty funny as Amy’s clearly-gay boyfriend early in the film, and James – playing himself – works well as Aaron’s overly-sensitive source of relationship advice.
It’s also worth mentioning the presence of Norman Lloyd in a small role. The veteran actor, turned 100 during filming, starred in Orson Welles’ Caesar on Broadway in 1937, worked with Hitchcock and Chaplin and was blacklisted by McCarthy. He offers some genuinely funny moments alongside Colin Quinn.
The main problem with Trainwreck is that, even though it is considered risqué in comparison to most modern comedies, it is decidedly not for fans of Schumer’s stand up. This feeling is only heightened with the presence of fellow stand-ups Quinn, Bob Kelly, Jim Florentine, Dan Soder and Dave Attell – all of whom belong to the East Coast comedy scene known for their brutality and dark humour. It doesn’t even really live up to the promise of its title or poster, both of which suggest something more than the finished film delivers. For all its sex, alcohol and drugs references, it is ostensibly just another goofy rom-com.
As with most female stand-ups, people seem obsessed with making Amy Schumer stand for something other than being funny. She’s the poster girl for body image issues, relationship problems and, as of last week, gun control. It isn’t her fault at all; we just still look at funny women like they’re a rare species that have to be held to a higher standard than they should, forcing them to take stances on issues that divide their audiences and ultimately threaten to ruin their careers. Although Trainwreck doesn’t make the most of Schumer’s ability, it’s a solid effort for a first film both as a lead actress and writer. And when combined with her stand up and TV work, shows a considerable talent that hopefully proves that she is the exception to the rule.
Trainwreck is showing at Nottingham Cinemas now.
Trainwreck Official Site
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