YES NO MAYBE SO: Trainwreck
Monday, February 16, 2015 at 12:00PM
Manuel here to discuss one of last week’s hottest trailers by one of my favorite funny ladies. After the success of Bridesmaids ($288 million worldwide gross and 2 Oscar nominations), it’s not surprising seeing Judd Apatow partnering up with another small-screen comedy talent for her big screen debut.
Written by Amy Schumer and directed by Apatow himself comes Trainwreck ("We all know one" the poster coyingly tells us), which opens this July as a nice bit of counter-programming (it goes up against Apatow-alum Paul Rudd's Ant-Man so you know where my momey that weekend will be going to). The film will first show itself over at SXSW as a "work-in-progress" so we'll have word of what to expect sooner rather than later, though it shows great confidence in the material. It also tells us precisely what kind of demographic they're hoping to muster enthusiasm among. Both Funny People and This is 40 failed to capitalize on the success of Knocked Up and The 40 Year Old Virgin so I'm sure hopes are higher for this female-fronted comedy.
But let's not get ahead of ourselves, in true TFE fashion, let’s dive right into the trailer giving it the YES, NO MAYBE SO treatment:
YES
- Amy Schumer. If you’ve been watching Comedy Central's Inside Amy Schumer, you know she’s a keen eyed feminist comedian whose voice is a breath of fresh air. To see what she can do in a longform narrative is exciting. Besides, look who she’s enlisted to help her!
- Tilda “You’re pretty-ish” Swinton. The number of people who are surprised to find out that’s Tilda playing Amy’s boss just goes to show she’s a chameleonic actress worthy of all her accolades. (Related: watch Schumer toast her at the Gothams).
- Brie “Don’t get all jealous because you don’t understand the concept of monogamy” Larson. After The Gambler, it’s nice to see Brie getting back on screen in roles that (hopefully?) will tap into her inner Gregson rhythms.
- Vanessa “Hang up, obviously he’s sick!” Bayer. The role of Judy Greer will be played by Bayer, and really, that last bit with the phone had me in stitches (the green juice she’s holding is a punchline in it of itself) so we know we’re in good hands.
- That list alone would get me excited as it rivals Bridesmaids in terms of a varied all-female roster of comedy starlets. Add in Bill Hader (so affecting in last year’s Skeleton Twins) and I’m sold.
- "Monogamy isn't realistic!" Colin Quinn, continuing to deliver dry humor like the best of 'em.
NO
- Lebron James. Can anyone speak up about the reasoning behind this? That Downton Abbey reading fell flat; might he surprise elsewhere?
- No Leslie Mann? C’mon Judd! She’s your star player; where’s she at?
MAYBE SO
- Judd Apatow. Other than Knocked Up, I’ve never really warmed up to his bloated directorial endeavors though the fact Schumer wrote this gives me hope it won’t be another bloated Apatovian comedy.
- “Mark Wahlberg? Mark Wahlberg is like 150lbs! I look like Mark Wahlberg ATE Mark Wahlberg!!” John Cenna selling his lines better than Lebron, at least, though their prominent inclusion in the trailer has a whiff of straight male pandering, no?
- Because, the more you watch the trailer, the more it falls under a genre no one seems to want to own up anymore. Might this just be a slightly subversive comedy that ends up being a trite rom-com? That genre could sure use a shot in the arm and Apatow has surely given it worthy CPR in the past decade, but I worry it’ll stifle Schumer’s more mordant humor. (I will say that the shot above gives me hope that despite a well-worn story, the film will pop visually in ways rom-coms rarely aspire to. See also: the throaway gags in the magazine office)
- Schumer is great in short sketches (if you’re not familiar with her show, check her take on sexting and on Sorkin to get a taste of what she excels at). Might it grate in a full-length film?
- Might the film lean in too heavily on its raunch factor? The red band trailer toes that line well ("Where are they buried?" shows how well Schumer can sell a line) but might the film suffer from trying to stay tonally afloat?
Check out the trailer below:
I'm definitely a YES, if only to see Swinton give us lady editor realness. How is everyone else feeling up to this film? And, are you excited about the fact that 2015 (with Spy, Hot Pursuit, Welcome to Me (coming out soon, right?), Pixar’s Inside Out and Sandra Bullock’s villainess in Minions) is going to offer more than one token “female-led” comedy on which the fate of all female-fronted films will be measured by?
Reader Comments (24)
You're asking about Leslie Mann when Marisa Tomei is in the actual movie?
YES! Vanessa Bayer sold me more than anything.
Wait-that's Tilda Swinton? In the theater I was positive it was Toni Collette! That's crazy!
The trailer looks pretty awful to be honest, but I still wanna watch this only so I can throw my ticket in Jeff Wells's face.
Tilda Swinton looks so different with tanned skin. That's really what it is.
Looks OK... I don't know why people are losing their minds over it on Twitter thought. I get it, female comedy. Woo hoo! But, I'm not blown away.
Although , the journalist on assignment finds love while on the job seems like a tired and lazy concept for s romantic comedy, just based on the talent involved I'm in.
Amy is comic gold, so I'm in. And I"m so relieved Leslie Mann is sitting this one out. Cannot abide her.
I think this should look a lot funnier considering the talent involved.
Oh YES! After The Skeleton Twins, I'm in for anything Hader stars in.
I'm sort of scared with Tilda's latest choices, taking in consideration last year's "Snowpiercer" was her first bad performance, and not just mediocre but simply awful. And now Judd Apatow? I'm not even including that she was okay in "Only Lovers Left Alive" and not enough featured in "The Grand Budapest Hotel".
^^asking for it
I'm all in.
So much YES. The red-band trailer just adds more.
My only worry is what will the story be? Is there any way this won't wind up a slut-shaming narrative -- she meets the right guy, settles down, etc.?
don't know amy and this trailer doesn't make the movie look THAT funny, but I'm intrigued.
I'm totally unfamiliar with Amy Schumer, and this trailer is lame enough that I really don't want to be familiar with her...so I'm definitely a "no."
Amy Schumer and Tilda Swinton. I'm in.
OMG! I dont't even realized that that is THE SWINTON!
total YES only to see her in a contemporary comedy!
Definite yes. I'm a huge fan of Schumer's show and while I understand the reservations, the trailer made me laugh at least a couple times in 2 minutes which bodes well.
Swinton channeling Kathy Burke in Ab Fab. Yes.
John Cenna. NO
"4 (drinks)." "Because you were on antibiotics?" Yes
Rom-Com for alcoholics. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Colin Quinn. YES
I'll wait and see if the trailer is all the best parts before I commit. I have my doubts.
No... this looks awful. Plus, John Cena is in it. That piece of shit is a fucking cancer.
I found Hader and "The Skeletons Twins" to be repulsive. I'll never watch anything with him again.
That trailer was... surprisingly funny. The last bit with the phone call? HILARIOUS. I like Amy Schumer fine but have never been an acolyte. But this looks like it could be genuinely funny and possibly sweet, so I'm in!
It's a yes from me. I enjoyed the trailer and looks like it'll be worth a watch or two. I've recently discovered "Inside Amy Schumer" and I think Amy's actually a really good comedic actress so I'm looking forward to seeing what she does next. And, I've been a fan of Bill Hader for a while now so I'm excited to see his performance as well (also he should have got a Golden Globe for The Skeleton Twins because he owned that film).