Trainwreck is fun and funny and, most importantly, although formulaic, refreshingly unconventional.
Directed by Judd Apatow, the same who directed Bridesmaids and The 40 Year-Old Virgin, the movie brings the raunchy side of humor, but at the same time, it’s sweet. There are elements in the film that touched me (but no, this would not be the a-bit-too-long tampon joke), and of course, tears rolled down my cheek more than once. (It’s a raunchy romantic comedy, but hey, it’s still a romantic comedy!) But the best part of the movie is its unconventional – – – something.
As I think about the film, I wonder if the only thing new about the approach is a reversal of roles between the genders. The film is rather formulaic: single person in a big city who doesn’t want to settle down meets another single who’s smitten and who sweeps first person into a romance; life complications interrupt the relationship; there’s grief; one is not there for the other; huge fight; sad mourning; grand romantic gesture; roll credits. And yet, as often as we’ve seen that play out between two people, there’s more in this movie.
Maybe it boils down to Amy Schumer, the lead actress. She brings an edge and a not-too-perfect nature to the screen that brings this romantic comedy a bit closer to the ground. (At the same time, the character’s life is such an utter mess too as to make one wonder how low beneath the ground they tried to dig.) But maybe it is about the genders.
For so long, movies paint the woman as the relationship-chaser. After all, that’s what we’ve all been told we’re to want/to have/to pursue. Men are made these simpler characters who get “tied down” in a relationship. But here, we have a female lead who hasn’t boarded that train. She’s leading her own life, reckless as it might be. Ah, but then again, is that the new message? If you don’t follow the traditional path as a woman, you’re destined for this lonely and rather empty, angry life watching things from the sidelines—-as a train wreck? Surely not. Surely we can present a better option.
Or perhaps this is why I don’t see many romantic comedies, even the raunchy ones. Most of them really don’t have deeper meanings. Most of them are purely for our entertainment, making us laugh a little and believe in the grand gestures solving all relationship problems. Most of them could be replaced by any other of them. And I shouldn’t search for something deeper in what is meant to be nothing more than basic, ankle-deep meaning.
Still, something lingers about Trainwreck. Something more lies just below the surface. If I figure out what that is (I haven’t even discussed the movie really in any depth with anyone, my movie companions and I immediately chatting about other areas of life), I’ll update my post here. (After all, most rom-coms I see merit no more than three stars. But this one gets 3.5. Since I don’t have half a star, I can even bump it to four.)
For now, I can say that Trainwreck is what you’d expect: funny, raunchy, and even endearing.