A love poem to NYC

Film review: Trainwreck

MANILA, Philippines - In the tradition of Woody Allen, renowned comedy director Judd Apatow has collaborated with Amy Schumer as star and screenwriter, giving us a truly wonderful love poem to New York City via the film Trainwreck. Smart, mature, funny, touching and serious — all in the course of the two hours running time, this is Apatow getting back to form. After all, Apatow has been responsible for some of the most successful comedies of the last decade, from 40 Year Old Virgin, to Knocked Up, Funny People, Superbad, This Is 40 and Pineapple Express, plus the Larry Sanders Show on television. For the first time, he directs a film fully centered on a woman, and thanks to Schumer’s writing and portrayal, totally engages us.

In a neat premise of sexual-role reversal, Amy Townsend (Schumer) is averse to romance or monogamy, thanks to the lessons in life she learned from her colorful father. Now working in a smart-aleck glossy, she looks down on sports and it’s legion of fans, yet gets assigned to write a feature on an up-and-coming sports doctor, Dr. Aaron Conners (Bill Hader, who also played a role in last week’s film Inside Out, doing the voice of Fear). As a sports doctor, Aaron has patients such as basketball stars LeBron James and Amar’e Stoudemire, who both make noteworthy appearances, along with other athletes such as wrestler John Cena. Balancing career, family, romance (or her version of it) is what makes for the film’s plot. But that doesn’t give us an inkling of how hilarious the lines and situations are, nor how Apatow successfully merges the comedy with thought-provoking moments, and even scenes that will move you to get misty-eyed. Apatow has of late been aiming for this kind of diversity in his comedy, and really hits the nail on this one.

The ensemble acting is impeccable, with Colin Quinn as Amy’s father and Tilda Swinton as the magazine’s EIC — both are my favorites. LeBron is a great surprise, and I loved the scene where he asks Amy what her intentions are with his buddy and doctor, Aaron. The funeral scene is pitch perfect, with the right amount of funny honesty and outright sorrow, so we end up crying and laughing at the same moment. And don’t get me started on the “sex scenes”  — where being frank and downright impudent make for memorable and funny bed scenes that will be hard to beat. The New York references come from all angles, from the Mets and the Knicks, to Staten Island and “dog-walking” (look out for the cameos on this last topic). If there is a weak spot, it would be somewhere after the halfway mark, and some 15 minutes could have been left on the “cutting floor.”

This is rom-com for today: Never predictable, mature and knowing, yet also capable of sweetness. And trust me, this is one romantic comedy even the guys will find funny and be thankful they got to watch. This is the R-Rated film that was actually a hit this summer in the US, something both Ted 2 and Magic Mike XXL cannot claim to be. Making the transition from stand-up and Comedy Central, this is Amy Schumer achieving mainstream success without losing her bite and cynicism. A most entertaining 120 minutes!