Trailing Off: "Trainwreck" (2015)

Left to right: Amy Schumer and Bill Hader

Welcome to the weekly column Trailing Off in which I take a look at a trailer from the past week and analyze its potential. This will be done using an obnoxious amount of analyzing and personal thoughts on the cast and crew as well as expectations. Coming every Sunday (it's called Trailing Off for a reason), I will attempt to highlight films ranging from new blockbusters to lesser known indies and give them their due. Partially to spread awareness, I do believe that there is an art to the sell and will do my best to highlight why these trailers matter or don't with approval (trove) or disapproval (trash). So please stop by, recommend some trailers, and I will see you next time.

Trailer in Discussion

Directed By: Judd Apatow

Written By: Amy Schumer

Starring: Amy Schumer, Bill Hader, Brie Larson

- The Preamble -

It has been a point of contention in the past. I don't get Amy Schumer's humor. True, I gave her special "Mostly Sex Stuff" a positive review. However, her show Inside Amy Schumer failed to make a personal connection with me and I have been trying to understand why that is. Is it that she is vulgar and it just isn't my style, regardless of gender? I am not entirely sure what to make of it and I don't entirely object to her rise in the comedy world. However, there's still something off between me and her that keeps me from saying that she's actually this welcomed comedic presence.

On the flip side, I do hold a special fondness for Judd Apatow. It was largely thanks to the year 2008 when he directed Knocked Up and produced Superbad and Walk Hard. Ever since, I have been a fan of his raunchy yet heartfelt style that produced personal favorite Funny People. He may not seem like an extraordinary voice to most, but he packs punches where necessary. It is why I think he is an important figure in comedy direction and feel that he deserves a shot regardless of a few clunkers along the way, including his last effort This Is 40, which felt oddly isolated and unaware in terms of viewpoints.

So to see these two team up means an odd crossroads for me. Will the film just continue to be on the lesser side of Apatow, or will he elevate something about Schumer and make me understand her relevance. Speaking as she wrote and stars in the film, I feel like it will be more distinctly her type of film as opposed to one with an authentic director's stamp. We'll just have to see. After all, if Apatow could work his magic as producer to make female-centric films like Bridesmaids into box office gold, who knows what he can do with this one.

- Dissection -

I think that there's some allure in the green band nature of this trailer. For starters, it manages to cover up a lot of things that I may find objectionable about Schumer. Of course, that is only under the assumptions of what I wouldn't like about her. In the trailer, there's an oddly poignant, edgy vibe to it that manages to tow the line between decent romantic comedy and oddly promiscuous sex comedy. As an entire package, it is kind of conventional, but manages to convey enough to share intrigue. There's plenty of throwaway moments that click and that may be enough to make the movie a worthwhile experience.

The one odd note is that Lady Sovereign's "9 to 5" pops up in the trailer for some odd reason. I cannot entirely piece why other than moving the lyrics around to fit the theme. It manages to give a whimsical vibe. Even setting up the background of Schumer's character adds a tragic touch to things that makes her oafish behavior somewhat more understandable. I am not sure if the film is trying to suggest that promiscuous sex should be considered progressive, but it does manage to show the alternative to Apatow's man child genre that has largely been propelled by Seth Rogen's career. 

As a whole, the trailer manages to hit enough beats that work. The cast looks strong and the editing manages to keep things in check. It doesn't give away too much and while it has a few more questionable moments, it does seem like Apatow will find a way to get to the heart of Schumer's humor. If anything, the trailer is expectantly familiar for an Apatow film and that's fine for me. I worry on personal bias about other things, but at this moment it does enough to spike curiosity and gets me to care about the film before us.

- One Sentence Sell -

Judd Apatow takes on the woman-child genre for the first time with this Amy Schumer sex comedy.

- Trash or Trove -

TROVE

It could just be the atmosphere that I am watching this in, but I came away charmed enough to want to give it a chance. I don't personally enjoy Schumer's comedy, but I do feel that there's some magic in Apatow's style that may help to centralize things and make me understand better what makes her so charming.