Trainwreck

One disconcerting aspect of comedic movies nowadays is the strict separation of the sexes; men and women only seem to be funny around their same sex buddies. Movies like "The Hangover" and "Bridesmaids" typify this trend, creating worlds solely inhabited by either men or women. Comedy ensues based on gender stereotypes: Guys get drunk, get strippers, and engage in hijinx while the feminine version of that involves shopping for dresses, planning themed parties, or singing along to Wilson Phillips. Men and women only seem to be together in lame romantic comedies with predictable, bipolar tropes: women want marriage; guys just want to have fun.

In "Trainwreck" Amy Schumer cleverly turns the genre on it's head. She plays a character fittingly named "Amy," who is a paradoxical living embodiment of the male stereotype. She is just interested in casual sex and has no desire to cuddle, talk, or be romantic in any way. Likewise, all of the male characters in the film are comedically and stereotypically feminine; they are obsessively worried about where relationships are going. This trading up is not only funny, but it also makes you think of the movie stereotypes that we have been unwittingly tolerating.

Whether on her show or in "Trainwreck," Amy Schumer has a strong, almost jarring comedic voice. Her jokes work because they are so unexpected and so over the top, even borderline disgusting. A great example is a story she tells to a domesticated group of moms at a baby shower: she had sex with a guy and got a condom stuck----well, you know where. Schumer's greatest talent is her satirical eye for parodying the ridiculousness of "guy culture." In "Trainwreck," she works for a mens' magazine that publishes stories like "How to jerk off at work and where to do it." Schumer is great at being funny while breaking tradition and just being herself. 

Although "Trainwreck" is an entertaining movie, it is not without fault. There are several parts of the film that are surprisingly unfunny, such as Schumer's misguided parody of independent movies with "The Dogwalker" starring Daniel Radcliffe. The largest problem with the movie involves Judd Apatow, whose influence boxed in Schumer's original voice into his prototypical coming of age story. The first part of the film shows Amy Schumer unapologetically speaking her mind. Unfortunately, the second half reveals that Schumer is actually a "damaged" person in need of growing up and learning how to be in an adult relationship. This theme is in every Apatow movie (Knocked Up, The Forty Year Old Virgin, etc) and undercuts Schumer's character with a formulaic ending. Let Amy be the way she wants to be without judging her as immature or damaged! If she wants to get drunk, smoke pot, and have casual sex, so be it. After all, the whole point of Schumer's comedy is to expand gender and societal norms. While I like Apatow's other movies, I think his collaboration on "Trainwreck" did more harm than good to Schumer's vision. Despite its shortcomings, "Trainwreck" is well worth seeing, even if Apatow overshadowed the funnier voice of a more talented comedian than he.