The Good: Good acting, Decent subject, Moments of character
The Bad: Predictable resolutions, Opening tone beguiles development
The Basics: While decent, Trust The Man explores breaking up and infidelity with humor without making the viewer care enough about the relationships involved.
It is infrequent that I have a problem starting a review. Usually, I have one or two opening paragraphs in mind for a movie or book or c.d. before I even start talking about the item I'm reviewing. Not so with Trust The Man, the first movie I've watched today.
When Tom finds himself in something of a loveless marriage with Rebecca, an actress who has returned to the stage, he begins to feel anxiety and look elsewhere, at least for sexual satisfaction. Rebecca's brother - and Tom's best friend - Tobey is in the process of avoiding getting tied down to his girlfriend of seven years, Elaine. Elaine decides there is no future in the relationship and dumps Tobey, which is what it takes for him to realize that Elaine is important to him.
Trust The Man is essentially a romantic comedy about people who are breaking up, which is a refreshing take on the romantic comedy. The moments of humor are well timed and actually funny when they pop up. The rest of the film keeps things serious and realistic, which makes for a decent viewing experience. But before writer-director Bart Freundlich starts clapping himself on the back for a job well-done, there is a serious conceptual problem with Trust The Man.
The problem with Trust The Man can be boiled down to the idea that we never see the characters - any of the four - happy. Tom is sexually frustrated and jobless from the beginning, Rebecca is devoted to work and her children, Elaine is feeling anxiety about aging without having children and Tobey is instantly characterized as one of the most self-centered characters to ever grace the screen. Tobey is a good character to stick with on this problem; he is self-centered (he won't drive Elaine to work because he doesn't want to have to find a parking spot when he gets home), he is phobic about death, he lacks sexual inspiration and he doesn't seem to want to change anything or do anything different, include having children.
So, the problem here is that none of the characters are happy either with themselves or each other from the outset. So, what is going to bring them back together? This is especially problematic in the Tobey/Elaine relationship. Neither seems to like distinctive things about the other. Indeed, Elaine's judgment in the relationship area is particularly terrible, courting a man after Tobey for the sole reason that the man wants a child. Both couples have a sense of inertia, a sense that there is only the one for the other that is gutted by any reasonable sensibility. Elaine, a successful working woman, can't find an INTERESTING man in New York City who wants to have children?! C'mon.
While it is chic to root for fidelity and praise the virtues of marriage (and usually, I'm advocating both!), sometimes relationships just do not work out. Sometimes, people are not meant to be married to the person they find themself in a relationship with. From the opening frames of Trust The Man, I found myself rooting for break ups. Elaine's intelligence is immediately called into question by me for sticking with a guy who does not seem interested in her, who won't get off his butt to take her to work or even kiss her good morning in the morning.
That said, Trust The Man is not a complete wash, not by any stretch of the imagination. Despite the character flaws with one another, the characters are all interesting. While I was not vested in Tobey and Elaine together, Tobey was interesting as a guy who simply doesn't get it and who has a very real fear. I empathized with Elaine's desire to have a child and get married, just not with Tobey. Similarly, Tom is a very interesting character. He suffers from a disorder and watching his character's journey makes the movie watchable. The only character that seems completely dull is Rebecca, though she comes into her own near the end.
Even Rebecca, though, is well-acted. Rebecca is portrayed by Julianne Moore. Moore plays her as a straightman and she is very good at that style role. She is articulate and near the end, her ability to emote her frustration is a wrenching performance. Billy Crudup is convincing as the apathetic and fearful Tobey. Maggie Gyllenhaal illustrates that she is more than a cute-as-a-button actress. Her determination comes through expertly when Elaine is pushing Tobey away.
The surprising gem of Trust The Man comes in the form of David Duchovny, who spreads his wings well in this movie. On The X-Files (reviewed here!), Duchovny often had to be understated as Agent Mulder, here he is expressive, passionate, desirous. Duchovny is completely convincing as a man who is frustrated and who feel needs in his life that are not being met. While the viewer might not approve of his character's direction, Duchovny convinces the audience of the authenticity of the character.
Ultimately, this is a very shaky "recommend." It is entertaining, has moments of amusement, but it's not as good as it could be. For that, it would have to illustrate the stakes of the relationships, other than the characters simply being alone and Trust The Man does not do that.
For other works with Billy Crudup, be sure to check out my reviews of:
Watchmen
Mission: Impossible III
Big Fish
Almost Famous
Princess Mononoke
6/10
For other film reviews, please visit my Movie Review Index Page for an organized listing!
© 2012, 2007 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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