Trust

Trust is praiseworthy in that it conveys a message not only to parents, but also to naïve teenagers. David Schwimmer is certainly a sensitive and caring dad. The film slowly becomes more about the dad coming to terms with his daughter’s abuse than about her suffering because of the abuse (which she doesn’t understand as abuse, but as being made love to by a guy who loves her). The emotions of the situations that all involved go through are believable, there is nothing superfluous or lacking in the film, and Schwimmer is clearly in his element. However, none of that changes the fact that Trust is an easily forgettable film with boring TV visuals. (01.01.2012)

That’s what happens when someone is a stupid cow. The actors are good, there is also some sort of message, but after the first half hour, when I still had a glimmer of hope that this would be a thriller, Trust was no longer fun. (28.06.2011)

I’ve been wondering how to actually approach the naivety (and whether it was naivety at all) and the main character's behavior. The question of whether a 14-year-old girl is capable of discerning "right and wrong" and thinking deeply about the consequences of her actions can be quite tricky. David Schwimmer is a distinctive director who gives a lot of space to Clive Owen, who delivers one of his better acting performances (the ending is really beautifully moving, almost without pathos) and manages to capture Annie's psyche in the wake of that act in a fairly complex way. I don't know what exactly I would have liked to have seen different in this film, but some things felt a little underdeveloped, which ultimately brought the overall impression down to the waters of slightly above average. In any case, David Schwimmer is undoubtedly a talented personage as a director. I will be very happy to watch his next film. (04.12.2011)