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TRAINWRECK

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* ½ (Joyce)

** ½ (Don)

(Profane romantic comedy with unlikable character)

This romantic comedy/drama opens with two profane scenes that introduce an unlikable character who you just know will seek redemption after two long hours.

Amy Schumer stars as Amy, a self-centered, promiscuous woman who meets Aaron (Bill Hader) a straight-laced, nice-guy doctor specializing in sports medicine.

Schumer, who also wrote this garbage, might have titled it “The Slut Meets the Schmuck.”

Amy writes for S’NUFF, a magazine that features sensational journalism. Her editor (Tilda Swinton) assigns her to write about Aaron, who is the doctor for the New York Knicks, as well as a volunteer for Doctors Without Borders. The doctor takes a liking to the writer, pursuing her with a passion, but she lives by the words of her divorced father: “Monogamy isn’t realistic.”

Amy’s sister is married with a young stepson and the two have nothing in common, causing friction between the two. And then there is their estranged father who has been relegated to an assisted living facility. Put all these people together and you have a cast, with the exception of the doctor and one surprise, who are not very likable people.

Amy tries to hold Aaron at bay, be he has fallen madly in love with her. God knows why. She is whiny, unpredictable, negative and borders on the edge of alcoholism. Plus she has slept with every guy she has met.

But this is a Hollywood fairy tale (actually New York City) and Schumer has written a redemptive role for herself, which accounts for the schmaltzy ending.

There are a number of celebrity cameos, including Matthew Broderick, Marv Albert, Chris Evert and others, plus a small part for Norman Lloyd. The surprise of the movie, which caused me to give one more star than Joyce, was LeBron James, playing himself. He has an important role and a number of lines…and he’s good, assuring him a career in show business when he hangs up his sneakers.

Rated a very big R, with nudity, sex, profanity, bathroom humor and some offensive sexual scenes. 

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