Trainwreck is a romantic comedy from the mind of "it" comedy girl of the moment, Amy Schumer, and prolific comedy director/producer, Judd Apatow. Schumer brings her particular brand of vulgar comedy and sharp wit to the production, but the result never strays too far from the standard romcom formula. Its biggest departure is flipping the gender roles. Instead of an emotionally broken, womanizer finding love with a good woman, it's the female half of the couple who needs to be convinced that all you need is love.
Schumer wrote the script and while obviously exaggerated, based much of it on her real life. She really has a sister named Kim and her father really does have multiple sclerosis. When the story begins, she's sort of in a relationship with a boyfriend played by John Cena, who isn't afraid to poke fun at himself in several funny scenes, but doesn't let that stop her from having random one night stands. Her attitude towards love is setup in the film's very first scene, when in a flashback she learns that her parents are getting divorced and her father teaches her that monogamy doesn't work. Ever since then, she seems to have lived by that mantra. However, when she meets Aaron, a sports doctor played by Bill Hader, on an assignment for the fratboy magazine she writes for, her life choices are put to the test.
Like all romantic comedies, this one lives or dies based on the chemistry of its two leads. While neither Schumer nor Hader are traditional looking sex symbols, there's no denying they work well together. With all of her negative habits, in the hands of a less likable actress, Amy would be difficult to sympathize with. Schumer somehow makes it work even when behaving despicably. She also shows a surprising range, generating real emotion in the film's more dramatic scenes. She's not likely to win an Oscar any time soon, but she's much more than a one note comedian. Hader makes the most of his part, but he's definitely in the supporting role and never gets to be quite as three-dimensional as Schumer.
The script has deliberately turned the tables on the sexes. Schumer sleeps casually around and finds emotional discussions uncomfortable. Hader, on the other hand, has long sensitive talks with a fictionalized version of LeBron James (played surprisingly well by the real LeBron James) about romance and relationships.
As with many of Apatow's films, the film does run long at a full two hours. There are several funny supporting parts, including Cena and a scene stealing Tilda Swinton, but they provide amusing moments that aren't integral to the plot and a celebrity cameo filled intervention in the film's third act just feels out of place. There's definitely room for tightening in the film's second hour. The heart of the film is the relationship between Amy and Aaron and Amy and her sister Kim. Too many scenes move the focus away from those relationships.
Perhaps the biggest surprise, despite the R-rated nature of the comedy, is just how traditional it all is. At its heart, underneath all the oral sex jokes, this is a girl meets boy story in the best Hollywood tradition.
