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Movie Review - Trust the Man (2006)
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(What this rating means)
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| Director: |
Bart Freundlich |
| Starring: |
David Duchovny, Julianne Moore, Billy Crudup, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Eva Mendes |
| Rated: |
R (for language and sexual content) |
| Length: |
103 minutes |
| Genre: |
Romantic Dramedy |
| Tagline: |
He's doing the best he can |
| Studio: |
Fox Searchlight |
| Website: |
Trust the Man |
| Release: |
September 15, 2006 (Memphis) |
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PLOT
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Two New York couples are trying desperately to make their relationships work. David Duchovny and Julianne Moore
have a "sexually frustrated" marriage. He wants what his wife ain't givin'. His best friend and brother-in-law
(Billy Crudup) accuses him of wanting a "whore" without the payments. What will Duchovny do when he grabs the
attention of a young, single mother? Will he give into temptation?
Crudup, on the other hand, is content in his relationship with Maggie Gyllenhaal. He's happy with how things are
and feels no pressing need to marry and have children. Gyllenhaal, however, is desperate for children and is
starting to feel that she has wasted the last seven years of her life with Crudup, especially since she can get
no reading on whether the relationship is actually going anywhere.
What are the two New York couples to do? Will their relationships be torn apart by infidelity, frustration,
and a difference in lifelong goals? Or will everybody live happily ever after? Take a wild one. A movie
that's nowhere near as good as it should be ensues.
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JOHNNY'S TAKE
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Trust the Man is basically a "coming-of-age" movie for adults. More of an "approaching-of-middle-age" story
I'll say. Adult audiences who relate to the whole "what am I doing with my miserable life?" theme, particularly in
regard to relationships, will probably get the most enjoyment out of it.
Unfortunately, the fact that it's targeted towards adults didn't prevent the writers from resorting to juvenile
and clichéd tactics. An understandable strategy if you're making a movie for teenagers, but do you really
expect people in their 30s and 40s to buy it?
Let me first state that the cast is excellent. David Duchovny? Great! Funny! Mulder! Billy Crudup?
Excellent! Tremendous heterosexual chemistry with Duchovny, and he really makes you sympathize with the character.
Julianne Moore and Maggie Gyllenhaal? Not two of my favorite actresses, but they're good as well.
Everybody gives a great effort and makes you care about what will happen to the relationships.
So what's the problem, you ask?
Welp, the ol' problem is that this first-rate cast has the misfortune of working with a second-rate script.
Dialogue often falls flat and feels forced, the pace moves a couple of steps slower than it should, and the
overly sappy climax would fit too comfortably into a high school soap opera. Female audiences who love their
relationship-themed movies covered with three layers of syrup might eat this up, but everybody else will
engage in the fine art of excessive eye-rolling.
I'd also like to know why the talents of Justin Bartha and Eva Mendes are so badly mishandled. Bartha, who was
so good in National Treasure and Failure
to Launch, is completely wasted with only about five minutes of screentime. And Ms. Mendes, who can
grace my movie screen any time, isn't treated much better.
It's a shame because she's a part of the funniest scene in the entire movie. I won't spoil it for you, but it
involves Crudup awkwardly telling her his email address. His delivery and her reaction are perfect. It's a
genuine laugh-out-loud moment. If only there'd been more.
The cast definitely makes Trust the Man watchable, but trust the Johnny - this is not a film that the
majority of you will deem a worthy investment of $8+ a pop. It'll likely be on DVD soon so just exercise a little
patience and check it out then.
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ODDS & ENDS
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- Sorry, but I really don't have the time nor the energy nor the inclination nor the desire to find a bunch of
Odds & Ends for this one.
- I suppose one could make a joke regarding the title Trust the Man and the fact that Duchovny did
everything BUT trust the man in The X-Files. Consider the joke made.
- Julianne Moore has red hair. Just like Duchovny's X-Files co-star Gillian Anderson.
- See how badly I'm stretching for these? I'm quitting while I'm behind.
- Speaking of behinds, Maggie Gyllenhaal had hers spanked in Secretary where she played a (big surprise)
secretary who was fond of sadomasochism.
- See? I told you I should have quit. I'm out of here before I become almost famous.
- Speaking of Almost Famous, you may remember Billy Crudup as... *Johnny has the plug mysteriously
pulled*
- David Duchovny was in House of D with Téa Leoni who was in Flirting with Disaster with Josh
Brolin who was in Hollow Man with Kevin Bacon.
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MAMA'S APPROVAL
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This is in no way appropriate for mama or the children. There's a modest amount of profanity (around 10 "f" bombs
or so), but the sexual dialogue and sexual situations are what will really make this an uncomfortable movie for
some. It's VERY frank in that regard.
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TRAILER COMPARISON
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I was expecting more than I got based on the trailer.
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THE GIST
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Showcasing a first-rate cast but a second-rate script, Trust the Man is the type of film best seen as a
rental or on TV so that you can have someone to talk to during all the slow parts. I sat there in the press
screening, one of only two people, and started to feel a little stir crazy without anyone there to enjoy my pithy
remarks and comments.
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