Celebrity Cameos Spark “Trainwreck”
By Skip Sheffield
Amy Schumer is not shy. She is not modest or delicate
either. She is kind of like one of the guys in “Trainwreck;” a film in which
she stars and wrote the script.
“Trainwreck” is like an exaggerated version of Amy Schumer
the brash and blunt stand-up comedian. The story begins with a flashback to
when Amy was a child (Devin Farbry as a 9-year-old Amy). Her dad (Colin Quinn)
is not exactly a model father. He drinks too much and messes around. “Monogamy
is not realistic,” he lectures little Amy. The grownup Amy has taken this to
heart. Amy sleeps with whomever whenever she wants- as long as they don’t stay
overnight. She is a writer for a snarky New York magazine called S’Nuff, as in
that’s enough. Her bitchy British boss (Tilda Swinton at her bitchiest) has
given her an assignment she does not want: interview celebrity sports surgeon
Dr. Aaron Conners (Bill Hader). “Sports are stupid,” Amy sniffs. Nevertheless
Amy interviews Dr. Conners, and immediately they click. The role of Dr. Conners
allowed Amy Schumer the writer to invite every celebrity sports star she knew
to play themselves. For instance basketball star LeBron James plays himself as
Dr. Conners’ patient and good friend. James is surprisingly good, and he
delivers some funny lines about the Miami Heat and his defection to Cleveland.
“Trainwreck” is like a Mad magazine of cameos. My favorite is a
movie-within-a-movie called “The Dogwalker,” starring Daniel Radcliffe, with
Marisa Tomei as one of his clients. Amy also called fellow comedians to play
small roles. These include Jim Florentine, Bobby Kelly and Dave Attell. The
small part of an elderly gentleman named Norman is veteran stage and screen
actor Norman Lloyd, who turns age 101 on Nov. 8. Wrestling star John Sena has
an amusing speaking role as Amy’s muscle-bound boyfriend Steven. Playing
themselves are actor Matthew Broderick, tennis legend Chris Lloyd and sports
announcer Marv Alpert. Schumer even has a celebrity director: Judd Apatow
directing the first film he did not write. As for the romantic story line
between Schumer and Hader, it is the least effective part of “Trainwreck.” Go
for the laughs and leave it at that.
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