Movie Review - Trainwreck

Trainwreck *** (out of 5) (R) Amy Schumer is a terrific stand-up comic. Her cherubic looks provide counterpoint for the hip, sexual parts of her act. She’s crafted a likable image of an insecure single gal, assuming the path to happiness must be fueled by libido. That has further blossomed in her sketch series on Comedy Central, which also allows stretching of her acting chops while remaining reliably funny, often hilarious, and surprisingly insightful. Her success convinced Judd Apatow to direct this romantic comedy, with Schumer starring in her own screenplay opposite Bill Hader, and backed by a slew of familiar faces. The film contains plenty of laughs and surprises, but falls short of adding up to a cohesive and satisfying package.

Schumer plays a smart writer for a lurid magazine. The film with how she grew up convinced that true love was a myth, leading to her adult life of boozy boinks, mostly with a parade of anonymous one-and-done dudes. Mr. Right seemed as likely to exist as Sasquatch, making Mr. Right Now the only attainable goal. But when she’s assigned to do a feature on a hugely successful, but socially inept, sports doctor (Hader), she’s surprised by his interest and her unprecedented receptivity. That immediately scares the hell out of her, leading to self-protective distancing. The role epitomizes her career persona to date. So what went wrong?

Schumer is one of her series’ writers, and likely the most influential, if not prolific. Her roots in skits and monologs show here, as many lines and scenes are worthy of her highlight reel, without adding up to the character development or plot cohesion a feature film requires. The whole turns out less than the sum of its parts, because too many laughs come without contributing to the big picture. Hader’s practice opens the door for a bunch of pro athletes (and one announcer) to appear. At first, LeBron James playing a dopey version of himself is delightful. But that caricature wears thin, and eventually seems embarrassing; same for a few of the other jocks and that announcer. Amar’e Stoudemire might be the comedy winner among the sports set.

Schumer and Apatow generously provide spots for a herd of fellow comics, from veterans like Colin Quinn and Dave Attell, to relative newcomers like Nikki Glaser and Bridget Everett, and a few of Hader’s former SNL cohorts. They add to the fun, as do Daniel Radcliffe and Marisa Tomei in a weirdly appealing sidebar. Tilda Swinton and John Cena, neither of whom is known for comedy, chip in surprising variations from their norms, as well.

The other problem may be Apatow. A lifelong comedy junkie who started in stand-up before emerging as a rom-com king should have retained a better sense of timing. His recent movies have been running longer than the material warrants, sapping the energy and undermining the punch of their high points. The man who created hits like The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Pineapple Express seemed sharper than the one at the helm of This is Forty and Trainwreck. Apatow is returning to his standup roots for a while. Maybe live audiences will remind him why brevity has been so famously and frequently called the soul of wit. (7/17/15)