Film review: Trainwreck
Cert 15
Four Stars
It would be easy to dismiss Trainwreck as another adult comedy about a party animal who needs to grow up, but writer-star Amy Schumer is no Vince Vaughn. Her character’s foul mouthed partying belies an underlying fragility, and her fraught negotiation of life-altering events – most notably, falling for a sensible doctor played by Bill Hader – is moving as well funny.
The film has a secret weapon in Tilda Swinton, almost unrecognisable as Schumer’s tanned, abrasive boss, and with a knack for comedy that repeatedly makes her a scene stealer. The inevitable celeb cameos are hit and miss: basketball star Lebron James’ comedy stylings are passable but never outstanding, while a bedroom scene with American wrestler John Cena proves more bizarre than anything else.
Trainwreck is a return to form for director Judd Apatow who, if nothing else, has a talent for knowing who to work with.