SXSW: Amy Schumer, Judd Apatow debut unfinished “Trainwreck”

Judd Apatow, Amy Schumer, Kim Caramele, Barry Mendel, Bill Hader and Vanessa Bayer at the SXSW premiere of “Trainwreck” as a work in progress. 

“Trainwreck” premiered at SXSW as a work in progress, but it’s hard to imagine why Judd Apatow and Amy Schumer would want to keep mining when they’ve already struck comedic gold.

Schumer makes her acting debut as a hot mess in “Trainwreck,” a new film written by her and directed by Apatow. Schumer stars alongside Bill Hader, who plays Schumer’s painfully adorable sports surgeon boyfriend, in a comedy about Amy, a magazine writer in New York who lives by her own rules; sometimes, because she’s independent and just wants to have fun (“fun” meaning alcohol-fueled hook-ups), and sometimes, because she’s scared of really putting herself out there.

The crowd at the packed Paramount Theatre in Austin, Texas roared with laughter from beginning to end, and the film was laced with quick comedy and amusing, up to date pop culture references. Perhaps the most refreshing part of “Trainwreck” is the way Schumer manages to dominate roles we’re more used to seeing male actors, like Seth Rogen, play: Amy loves booze, one-night-stands and weed, and she’s not about to let anyone shame her over her lifestyle choices.

As for Schumer’s big screen debut, the comedienne was a natural. Her comedic chops translated over to the big screen with seemingly no effort, but Schumer also comes across as raw and honest when her character overcomes some hurdles and kind of grows up.

“This is very much me taking a look at what’s going on with me,” Schumer said when asked how much Amy from “Trainwreck” reflects Schumer in real life.

Some familiar faces in “Trainwreck” include Vanessa Bayer, LeBron James, John Cena, Brie Larson, Matthew Broderick and Colin Quinn, all of whom were hilarious alongside Schumer and Hader. There were other impressive cameos in the film, but it might be best to throw an invisibility cloak over them for now to avoid spoilers.

Apatow and Schumer introduced the film before the premiere, and Schumer tap danced for a few seconds to the amusement of the sold out crowd. That wasn’t all the dancing Schumer showed off: aside from proving she can be funny, sexy and sincere, Schumer puts her killer dance moves on display in “Trainwreck.”

Schumer nailed it, and Apatow has done it again by scouting a talented artist and propelling her into the film world. Schumer was doing just fine for herself in comedy, but it’s great to see that much like “Trainwreck” Amy, she’s going for it.

Trainwreck” is set to be released on July 17. 

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