According to a Rentrak poll, 28% of the audience that helped give Trainwreck its $30.2 million opening weekend did so purely out of a love of the film’s star, Amy Schumer. After viewing her comic – and acting – chops in this vehicle, it’s easy to see why.
Schumer charmingly executes her role as a successful Manhattanite working at a magazine that regularly demeans women through articles with titles like, “You’re Not Gay. She’s Boring.” Her boss is played with relish by the perpetually marvelous and extremely versatile Ms. Tilda Swinton, glammed to the gods and biting the heads off of her lines with the sharpest teeth available in a Summer, 2015 film.
Amy (also the lead’s name) was taught early by her father that monogamy is insane. Amy was a very good pupil. Some of the film’s funniest scenes involve her inner and outer dialogue concerning how not to let a guy get too close.
But alas, a guy does get close. Aaron, played by Bill Hader, is a surgeon whose sole purpose here is to help show us Amy’s journey from dickhead (that’s assuming you don’t agree with her morals) to sweetheart in less than two hours. Bill’s talents are underused, but it’s OK because this is clearly Amy’s movie in which to shine. She even wrote it, for goodness’ sake.
Athletes LeBron James and John Cena turn in hilariously good supporting performances to round out a fun 21st Century First Date Movie that gets a little yawny when it steps away from its funny bone center, but packs enough ballsy delight to keep the smiles and guffaws coming.