Casting is key when it comes to Trainwreck’s effectiveness.
Director Judd Apatow has seven years been due for a change in cast, and Trainwreck offers a refreshingly hilarious new crew, knocking off a few of his previously lesser actors, including the ever annoying as hell Leslie Mann (who additionally is Apatow’s wife). To be honest, I wasn’t expecting much from Trainwreck, the trailers offering a very misleading look at a supposed subpar comedy—as such it was an utter surprise when Trainwreck turned out to be a very witty, and unexpectedly touching romance-comedy.
For better or for worse (I personally see it as better), I relate a lot to the film’s protagonist Amy (Amy Schumer): being crude, fun-loving, not into sports, a writer, and enjoying miscellaneous activities (which ones her and I “relate” with I’ll leave up to reader imagination). Amy’s written as a three-dimensional human, rather than a stereotypical female—a character both male and female viewers can relate with and enjoy. It’s nice to see such a well-written female in an Apatow film—though I dare not ignore how involved Schumer is in Amy and the plot’s creation: being credited as the script’s writer. Schumer finds a way to balance out Apatow’s usual male-centric comedy while still retaining his signature brand of humor—creating a fleshed-out, politically incorrect protagonist. Yet that’s only the half of it, with Schumer playing the character equally as effective and, to put it bluntly, completely awesome. Schumer is quick-witted, sharp, and unapologetically crass, yet can also be touching and sweet; segments such as the funeral scene are delivered with convincing grief and pleasant, dark humor.