Rating of
3/4
Fine Romantic Comedy for Everyone
Unknown - wrote on 07/22/15
I wasn't entirely sure what to expect from 'Trainwreck' because it's an Apatow/Schumer collaboration. Both are hit and miss for me. To my delight, the pair scored a win. Schumer's writing and acting are a great deal more mature than I anticipated. She infuses the rom-com structure with some new enhancements. Almost the whole first act is devoted to fleshing out Amy and all of the supporting cast. I enjoyed getting to know them. The family details are rich and intimate. They are essential to the driving the drama, as well as providing explanation for Amy's many flawed habits. The romance between her and Hader is handled with the same devotion. I liked watching the two of them together. I found myself invested in their troubles. The humor was consistent. It never stooped to bawdy crassness during the sexual scenes. They offered some new clever situations that play into the relationships, or lack thereof. It's nice to be able to laugh at an R-rated comedy that isn't just made up of juvenile, profanity laden, gross out gags. I wouldn't go as far to say that it's hilarious, but it gets close. I had a sufficient amount of well deserved laughs. And now for the negatives. Apatow continues his streak of adding an unneeded twenty (or more) minutes of runtime to his movies. There are a handful of scenes that should've been shortened, or completely left out. A few jokes definitely went on for too long. My other main issue involves the resolution. The final act slowly devolves into the cheeky formula that the whole film had been avoiding up to that point. The finale involved one of those outlandish apology scenes that the main character uses to win back their lover. I found it kinda hokey. Not the ending that the film had set me up for. Shortcomings aside, 'Trainwreck' is a fine romantic comedy that can be enjoyed by everyone. It's a pleasant watch from beginning to end.
