Movie Review: Trust (2010)

Review: Trust (2010) 

A spine chilling tale that will stay with you 

It was only within the last few months that I heard and read about this film, accidentally stumbling on an interview with David Schwimmer about his second feature length film. I could not believe it slipped under my radar and so I had to watch this film. Thank god I did, because it is without a doubt one of the most powerful, thought provoking films I have ever seen.

The main storyline is extremely dark, following the consequences of a 14 year old girl who  is sexually assaulted. 

The events building up to this situation was dealt with brilliantly with slow trickles of information revealing the façade. This allowed for the audience to foreshadow future events and although it was horrible to know the result, feeling rather uncomfortable in the process, it goes to show the brilliance of the directorial techniques Schwimmer uses.

The aftermath of the event was delivered with extreme sensitivity, as it should be. But what was greatly unsettling was how realistic the situation became: the protective behaviour of the parents, alienation of the girl at her high school and her general disillusionment of what had happened to her. There were no outstanding theatrics, which was good as it would have deteriorated the plausibility of the entire film. 

The acting was simply outstanding for the entire cast, building upon the already too realistic storyline. 

Liana Liberato's portrayal of Annie was amazing, revealing her initial disillusionment and anger towards her parents rather than her attacker. The range of emotions from such a young actress was outstanding.

Clive Owen too was exceptional in the portrayal of her father. His character was so incredibly powerful that his feelings enveloped into myself, the amount of sympathy and anger that I felt was intense. Never before has a film done that to me.  

Katherine Keener was also great as the mother is total despair and the chemistry between her and Clive Owen was incredible. Her role was not as large as Owen's which was somewhat of a shame, but still her presence was felt.

As for Chris Henry Coffey's portrayal of the sexual predator, it was downright creepy with his almost boyish charm and the way in which he spoke to Annie, almost possessed. His presence sent shivers down my spine constantly throughout his scenes, particularly his final one.

This film, although distressing was simply incredible, from the brutal storyline to the amazing acting. Never before have I finished watching a film feeling so shaken and uncomfortable until now. Clearly this shows the power of the film.

The moral of the film is incredibly strong too; How far do we go to protect our children without losing their trust? It also encapsulated the dangers of the technology era and how it seeps into our younger generation. 

The only thing that may shy you away from this film is the somewhat graphic nature which some viewers may find extremely disturbing. 

PERFECT 10