“Trainwreck”, the highly anticipated blockbuster comedy of the summer, stars and was written by comedian Amy Schumer. Adapted from her stand-up routines, Schumer plays up her on stage persona as Amy, a magazine writer with a strong distrust in commitment of any kind who begins to have feelings for a man (Bill Hader) ready to settle down.

This movie wasn’t quite my brand of humor. My final grade is going to be somewhat skewed by that, but objectively speaking, just because some jokes touched a nerve with me doesn’t mean I can ignore how into the rest of the theatre audience got. Schumer’s comedic style is this: every single joke will either be about drugs, sex, drinking and probably go on a little too long. There were also a few racist remarks and rape jokes that I just couldn’t let slide. They weren’t funny, and they weren’t okay. None of this is to say that I didn’t laugh during the movie, of course I did. She is a very funny woman, and this movie overall, while predictable, had me nearly in tears laughing so hard at times. It’s one of those comedies where when a joke hits you, it either knocks it out of the park or completely flat lines- everyone in the theatre was either in full on hysterics or dead silent at certain punchlines, no middle ground. The best way I can put it is that if you like Seth Rogen, which I don’t, you will absolutely love Schumer and “Trainwreck”.

By far the funniest aspect of this movie was its cast. Schumer’s character Amy won me over. She was unapologetic about her sexuality and the movie never indulged in slut shaming her, which was unbelievably refreshing. For all of Amy’s many flaws and initial unlikability, by the midway point you completely understand why she is the way she is and you sympathize with her. Bill Hader’s character Aaron, a respected, adorkable surgeon in sports medicine and best friend to Lebron James, stole the show. He’s a nearly perfect guy on paper, and it’s frustrating and hilarious to see Amy explain why the perfect guy isn’t perfect for her necessarily. Hader and Schumer’s comedic and romantic chemistry was off the charts, I have no trouble believing these two are close friends in real life. The rest of the cast is mainly comprised of seasoned veterans, Saturday Night Live cast members and effective cameos, so you can’t go wrong there.

What surprised me the most was that for all I’d heard that this romantic comedy was written by a comedian, I didn’t expect so much heart to the story. Amy has some real demons to deal with, and I was very impressed with how well that was handled and close to tears I was at more than a few sneakily poignant moments. While the comedy was juvenile, the emotions weren’t always.

Which is to say that this movie wholeheartedly earns its R rating. There is an abundance of swearing, drug usage and nudity, so this isn’t really one you should consider making an exception for your kid to see. Even then, a lot of the themes and conflicts will go over a younger audience’s heads.

While this movie wasn’t my favorite and I had a lot of issues with Schumer’s flavor of comedy, I’m still recommending it because I can’t deny how much fun the rest of the theatre and I still had with it. Schumer and Hader play off each other with impeccable chemistry, and with the help of some well placed cameos and relatable themes, deliver an entertaining and touching comedy.

Verdict: 3.5/5 stars