Trainwreck (2015) Review

Lucas Versantvoort / 9 Oct 2015

Trainwreck, an appropriate title if ever there was one. Nah, it's not that much of a waste of time, but I did leave the theatre disappointed. This is one of those self-aware rom-coms that nevertheless remains trapped within the very genre conventions it parodies. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

The first scene introduces us to nine year old Amy and five year old Kim as they're taught a valuable life lesson by their soon-to-be divorced dad: that monogamy is overrated. Skip ahead about 15 years and we see the end result: Kim's got a family and Amy screws around, making sure to never let the guy spend the night after sex. Dear old dad has grown old, has MS and now lives in a home, aka an assisted living facility. Amy writes articles for one of those modern peppy magazines and is told to write something about a certain Aaron Conners, a doctor who treats basketball players. They start talking which leads to dating which leads to Amy feeling uncomfortable about those strange feelings of intimacy she's experiencing, etc, etc. 

I knew next to nothing about Trainwreck beforehand, but I did hear that it was self-aware which given its genre it has every right to be. Rom-coms can be some of the most mindnumbingly boring films your eyes have ever had the misfortune to behold. But Trainwreck was supposed to be different, I had gathered. So, I went in expecting all kinds of in-jokes only seasoned rom-com veterans would get and, to an extent, that's what I got. The film is at its best during these disarming moments, like when there's a big hug involving Amy, her sister and her family and Amy says something to the extent that she can't handle so much affection, 'love overload', etc. Or when Amy (despite having said she hates cheerleaders) dances with them for Aaron and afterwards explains how it's supposed to be a metaphor thus ridiculing similar scenes from other rom-coms. You get the idea. 

And then....*sigh* there's the rest of the film and it's many failed attempts at straightforward comedy. There are jokes here that are so terrible, I actually started feeling sorry for the actors. Tilda Swinton does what she can as Amy's editor, but there's a point when a script is beyond saving. I mean, what does it say about your comedy that some of the high points involve what are basically glorified cameos from sports figures like LeBron James and John Cena?

The main problem with Trainwreck, however, is that it tries to tell a serious rom-com story all the while parodying its own genre. It. Just. Doesn't. Work. You've got a scene where the film mocks its own existence and all of sudden there's an emotional funeral scene. Pick a damn lane, grandpa!

Would I recommend this film? Not really. Some of the comedy is good (emphasis on 'some), but too many jokes just fall flat on their asses to really recommend it. The wait for the next really good comedy continues...