I wouldn't have known about this film if it hadn't been recommended by Roger Ebert I found it complex and true. It's one of those movies where there were moments where I thought it might go off the edge, but then it righted itself. It was directed by David Schwimmer, an actor who deserves more time at the helm. The film is currently available on Netflix Instant.
Trust is the story of a fifteen-year-old girl, Annie, who, through the Internet, forms a romantic attachment with a man named Charlie. At first, she believes he's a year older than her. Then he texts her that he's not actually a sophomore in high school; he's really a sophomore in college. Then he says that he 's in his second year of graduate school. When she finally meets him, she is initially speechless. He is a man in his thirties. But he manages to charm her, to convince her to go with him to a hotel.
There are some interesting choices made in this film. Since it is mostly an Internet relationship, their instant messages show up on the screen like cheesy subtitles. We are able to witness the progression of their exchanges through reading these innocuous, yet serious words. When they are in the hotel room, we see the recording device activate unbeknownst to the girl. The assault is more imagined than seen. It is still harrowing and heartbreaking.
It turns out the David Schwimmer has been involved with the Rape Foundation for fourteen years and on its board of directors for the last decade. The film feels grounded in knownledge and research of the emotional journey that a victim and her family would go through in this experience. There are wonderful performances in this film I don't believe that Liana Liberato as the teenager, Annie, hit a false note. I also very much enjoyed Viola Davis's performance as Annie's therapist.
I had some difficulties with Clive Owens and Catherine Keener as the parents. First of all, it was just hard to see these two in the parent roles. I'm so accustomed to seeing them as single people that it was initially hard to translate them into a more suburban setting. There were moments of high drama with Clive Owen's character, and at moments, I was afraid that the film was going to be something much different than a very affecting psychological study. But then I tried to imagine being a father to a teenage girl in this situation. I could imagine that it would be very easy to go to extremes. In my mind, Catherine Keener did not have enough to do. She had the thankless task of trying to be the ballast. It was probably often the way these dynamics would play out, but she is such an interesting actress, i wanted to see more from her.
In the interview that I read, Schwimmer spoke of the many years it took before they had a script that he liked. Credit goes to Andy Bellin and Robert Festinger. Apparently Bellin has now written the script for the film biography of Linda Lovelace. Festinger wrote In the Bedroom. I think they are very interesting writers. I worried about how they would resolve this movie. I found the final family scene very moving. I would really recommend this movie.
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