By Melissa Antoinette Garza
I have wanted to see Trainwreck since it was officially announced. At first, it was because I loved Bill Hader. For the longest time, he was the reason I watched Saturday Night Live. There were other comedic greats on the show, but his talent is so masterful, that he stole every segment he was in. Even when the writing wasn’t up to par, his performance mixed with his physical comedy always brought the laughs.
To be honest, I didn’t really pay attention to Amy Schumer until she did the 12 Angry Men sketch. That happens to be my favorite film of all time. When I saw it on my Yahoo feed, I cringed at first. So many parodies seem to insult the original material nowadays and that would have certainly pissed me off. Still, my curiosity got away with me and I watched it. It was obvious from the start that Schumer knew the movie and had respect for it as so many of the scenes were spot on. The casting was perfect, the delivery priceless, and the reason for the trial was hilarious. It was then that I realized Amy Schumer wasn’t just another comedy sketch show, but that it had depth.
The more I watched the Amy Schumer show, the more hooked I became. I sought out her stand-up comedy which I loved. I saw her speech for Glamour Magazine, and was on the floor dying. Schumer isn’t just funny but she’s right on schedule. By that I mean, women need a voice in the comedy scene. We desperately need something other than insulting husbands for stealing the remotes or wanting sex too often. Those unfunny stale jokes pissed me off when I was a kid and piss me off now. Many comedians, both male and female, spoke about women as if they were just an extension of men.
I’m not saying that Amy Schumer is the first female comedian to do this. Sarah Silverman, albeit in a different manner, also was a voice for women. Tina Fey and Amy Poehler also were strong voices for the cause. Schumer however resonates more with me for various reasons. She has a self-deprecating egotistical aspect to her comedy that simply works. She puts herself down in the proudest and most self-assured manner.
I knew Trainwreck was going to be good. I loved the trailers and the chemistry between the two was apparent even there. The movie follows Amy (Amy Schumer) who is a party girl. She has one-night stands, drinks and smokes pot. She has a sort-of boyfriend Steven (John Cena) who is just an oddball. He isn’t very intelligent and has no idea what dirty-talk is. Steven believes they are a monogamous couple, but Amy is seeing others on the side. When Steve finds out she’s having sex with other men, he’s livid and they end up breaking up.
Meanwhile, Amy is chosen to write an article about Dr. Aaron (Bill Hader), a sports physician who is receiving an award for the work he does for charity. She rejects the idea as she hates sports, but her boss insists he she take the piece as she feels the opposing views will draw readers. She meets Aaron and the two have a strange comedic first encounter, but the next is where they really connect.
While testing out an exercise machine with Aaron, Amy getting a text from her sister Kim (Brie Larson) stating that she wants to put their father Gordon (Colin Quinn) into a cheaper nursing home. The two sisters have different opinions on nearly everything including the divorce of their parents. Gordon cheated on their mother and then slept around with pretty much everyone including Kim and Amy’s teachers. Amy lets it run off her back, but Kim is still angry.
Kim is much more “traditional”. She’s married, has a step-son and a baby on the way. That lifestyle scares the hell out of her, yet though afraid of intimacy, Amy does love Kim very much.
When Amy begins hyperventilating, Aaron is there to help her. They go out to eat, out for drinks and then back to his place. Amy spends the night despite the fact that she has a rule against it. The next day when he calls her, she’s suprised.
When she sees him later for the article, she tells him that she thinks they should just focus on their work. He disagrees and says that he wants to date. During the conversation, she gets a call that Gordon has fallen. Aaron takes her there and stitches up her father.
After that, they do get into a relationship and Amy genuinely cares for him, but she struggles with the wild lifestyle she’s accustomed to and fitting into the more normal manner of living that Aaron does. He worries about her drinking and marijuana use and she’s worries about getting too serious and what means. She’s constantly waiting for him to break-up with her because she believes he’s too nice to permanently be there.
From start to fast, this was a fantastic film. So often, movies follow a male lead who has a sexualized caricature girlfriend but leaves her for a soft spoken chaste woman that steals his heart and makes him change his womanizing ways. Even in this day and age, the media projects what a “good girl” is and what a “bad girl” is and this movies tears that down. Amy has no issue telling a guy to go down on her, climaxes and then pretends to fall asleep so she doesn’t have to do any work. Fucking A-right, it’s about time.
There were also seriously emotional scenes that brought tears to my eyes. Amy Schumer is a great actress who emotes very well and easily brings you into the film.
The character Amy is a strong, sympathetic and sexually realistic woman. I love the character. I love the actress.
Bill Hader was perfectly cast and also brought it home. I saw him in The Skeleton Twins so I knew going in he was a great actor. Here he brought in his A game too. I know I’ll go see this a few more times and purchase it when it comes out.
I can’t recommend it enough. It’s hilarious, heartwarming and hasn’t an issue showing a modernized sexually active woman without apology. It is basically the anti-Fifty Shades of Grey and the opposite of films like The Notebook. It’s a romantic film, I can relate to and I can enjoy. I’m not always big on chick flicks and Fifty Shades and The Notebook just irritated me.
Scared Stiff Rating: 9.5/10
