"Trainwreck" (2015)

If you like Amy Shumer, this movie is for you. Except for one thing…she doesn’t go as far as you think she will. And it feels like she was a little stifled when it came to the jokes. A lot feels forced. And having seen her standup, it’s not that far off. Which means, if you’ve never seen Schumer, this will be an interesting treat.

“Trainwreck” is about a city party girl who drinks hard, and fucks hard. She doesn’t care who she fucks, as long as she’s fucking. She was taught at a young age that people are to be used. And so she strips her emotions away completely. Until she has to face them directly. What is interesting about this movie, is that…as far as director Judd Apatow’s movies go…it feels like a complete movie. “40 Year Old Virgin” was a concept. “This Is 40” lingers WAY too long. The beats of a movie are here. Boy meets girl type. But what excels beyond the kitsch of…say something like “When Harry Met Sally…” is that it reveals some really harsh reality. Sometimes so true to human mannerisms it made ME feel uncomfortable. Like when you tell someone you love them. I cringe at these moments, because it’s near impossible for me to say it. It tears every part of my gut out to say it. If we were to analyze, I’m sure my parents had a lot to do with that but whatever…actually it may also explain my hard drinking years.

Anyway, her “boy” of fancy is a sports doctor named Aaron Connors played pitch-perfect by Bill Hader. I think he should get a nomination for at least having a lizard face that emotes so much. This seemed to be a gamble, since he isn’t what Amy usually has sex with. She has sex with him anyway. Then things get complicated when their relationship does start to force her to grow up. Hader gets the added benefit of having LeBron James be his BFF. Which he doles out sage sensitive advice with calm sweet natured oddball lines that gave me mad respect for him.

There are a lot of uneven moments. You can tell when they were attempting to inject a scene with laughs. Or a scene where you don’t know whether to cry or laugh. But the women in the theater I saw this movie with were having an amazing time. So, it seemed that may be their target.

As for Amy Shumer, she is a massive star on the rise. I really like her acting. There are real moments in this movie that I was shocked she could muster. That tough smart mouthed cookie is actually hiding something more hurt. But at times we’re heading towards Melissa McCarthy territory, which I didn’t care for. Either way, a SOLID first movie.