DVD Movie Review - Trust Me

Trust Me is the type of movie that would have easily garnered 5 out of 5 stars…and then the last ten minutes happens.

STORY:

Howard (writer and director Clark Gregg—A.K.A. Agent Coulson) is an ex-child star that becomes an agent.  He seems to be in the perfect position of his career with children giving him the middle finger, people hitting him with cars, and parents basically using him as a barista.  On the cusp of losing the next child star, Howard is found down and out by a lonely thirteen year old named Lydia (Saxon Sharbino).  Lydia's life hasn't been all sunshine and rainbows either, but Howard sees talent and his ticket to the big time hidden within her.  Will Howard be able to make her a star?  Grape throwing, back-stabbing, hysterical dialogue, and terrible CGI wings ensue.

"Listen, you work hard.  But look at the way you're drooping, and your leaves for God's sake...How am 

I supposed to promote you for the Jungle Book, if you don't take care of yourself?"

THOUGHTS:

Trust Me has the makings of a fantastic movie: a wonderful story; a humble, bumbling, yet lovable main character; unbelievable acting; and witty dialogue.  And then the ending occurs and you instantly lose the emotional connection you've spent over an hour building.  If nothing else, Trust Me demonstrates that Clark Gregg is excellent writer, fantastic actor, and extremely talented director.  So what does that mean?  It means there isn't one person—from the always exceptional Sam Rockwell to the newly discovered Saxon Sharbino—that gives a mediocre performance in the film.  Everyone goes above and beyond their abilities.  And if you haven't seen Gregg outside the Marvel universe, then you're missing out.  The man can act.  And having a great story idea with these brilliant actors should make for an exquisite film.  So what the hell happened?

Sometimes a writer has a vision for a story and after creating that vision, never really takes the time to determine if all the pieces work.  Sure, you'll see Trust Me's ending and then try to remember all the little hints you seemed to miss along the way (especially the humongous one in the first two minutes) while enjoying funny one-liners and witty dialogue.  But the question becomes: is keeping the theme worth the price at the end?  Even if the movie concluded the way you were hoping or expecting with no twists, it still would have been great.  But instead, Gregg ends the movie his way (which is admirable); essentially killing all character arcs and murdering the uplifting theme you thought the film had.  What can possibly be better than a story about a down-on-his-luck agent that might just get his chance to finally shine, whether in life or career?  Apparently, a story that ends with you depressed, aggravated and scratching your head.

"I'm sorry, hold that thought.  This dang thing in my ear has been picking up radio waves 

from Japan all day."

FOOLED YOU:

Just like last week's Fading Gigolo, Trust Me is categorized under comedy, but—again—that's just the packaging.  About an hour into the film the plot takes an unexpected tragic turn.  This plunges the film head first into a heavy drama, but the "expected ending" from this point, still would've kept the uplifting theme.  Except the last ten minutes adds an even more dramatic twist and everything is thrown out the window.  So if you're just looking for laughs from Trust Me, it's best to watch the first hour and then turn it off.

"Now you listen hear, pal, Spongebob is a great show and Sponge Out of Water will be an awesome 

movie...no matter how ridiculous it looks."

THE ACTING:

Hats off to Saxon Sharbino.  Her acting throughout the film is exceptional.  Not only does she fit easily alongside Gregg or Rockwell, but she also holds the entire film together.  It's really her story you become more engrossed in and if her acting slipped just a little, the whole movie would've went completely downhill.  This is casting at its finest.

Sam Rockwell graces the screen as Aldo, Howard's competition, and more importantly, the film's antagonist.  Now, if you know anything about Rockwell, you'll know that the man can act the crap out of any dick-ish character.  And this film is no exception.  The only problem is he's only in it for about ten minutes, but luckily, those ten minutes are stretched throughout the movie so you can enjoy his comedic greatness during all ninety minutes of film.

Clark Gregg is also fantastic in the movie.  He's able to evoke laughs one minute and then utter sadness another.  But his real triumph is directing all the other actors in the film.  Even Amanda Peet (who portrays Marcy, Howard's love interest), an actress mostly known for her pretty face and nakedness in The Whole Nine Yards, turns up the talent.  Paul Sparks stops by to play Ray, Lydia's drunken yet protective father.  And he'll make you hate him one moment and then feel for him the next.  Allison Janney spends her time as Meg, a woman that loves to give Howard a hard time.  And last but not least, Molly Shannon jumps in front of the camera as Janice, the mother of a child actor that enjoys screaming and hitting people with her car. 

"Hey, I'm just saying: whoever smelt it, dealt it."

CONCLUSION:

Trust Me storms out of the gate as a witty comedy, then it tickles the drama tree, and then it flies completely off the rails at the end.  If you're looking for tragic turns and twist endings coated in comedy, then Trust Me is your one stop shop.  With exceptional acting, witty dialogue, and an almost great story, Trust Me falls into the category of films that can only be watched once, due to the "what the f*ck" ending.  If you do happen to rent Trust Me, watch the first hour and twenty minutes and then shut it off and just imagine the rest.  It'll end up as a great movie in your mind and more importantly, it'll leave you feeling content.

4 out of 5 Stars (minus a star for the last ten minutes)