I have to say I didn't have a lot of hope for this one. It was a Netflix on demand suggestion. The topicality, online sexual predators, is highly charged and I took a chance that it might translate into a decent drama. But could also easily have translated into a clichéd fluff piece. David Schwimmer is a surprisingly good director; I say surprisingly because honestly I never knew he was directing now. Trust turned out better than I expected but not without some predictable conventions and plot turns. And a touch of over acting.
The story is told from the perspective of a 14 year old girl from a prosperous, upper middle class family, who falls for the lure of an internet child predator. At first all communication is conducted using chatrooms, a computer, and a smartphone all under the radar of her family. The interaction evolves into phone conversations, and eventually a physical encounter with the predator, who of course uses an online persona radically different from what he is revealed to be. The encounter is also revealed to her family and the authorities initiating a series devastating psychological and emotional events for the girl, her family, and the world she once knew and understood as best as a 14 year old can comprehend it.
Schwimmer's direction has a nice flavor to it. But this film does have areas where it arcs dangerously close to a stereotyped, Lifetime Channel style. The subject matter, and the manner in which it is filmed, is very uncomfortable to watch at times. But that is not a bad thing, to me it means Schwimmer was unafraid to use shock value for the right reasons, and it means you are invested in it. Some scenes are graphically filmed and makes one uneasy to view them. At times it drags, then picks up, then inexplicably drags again. One or two plot developments make no sense or are not adequately explained. Some dialogue is hard to understand. Nothing is more aggravating while watching an otherwise decent film than the need to back up and relive the scene twice because you didn't understand it the first time. Some moments walk a fine line between superb acting and over acting. I found this especially true with the mother. But mostly, it is indeed superb.
Trust is otherwise a film I do recommend. It treats a very real and painful subject with compassion, sensitivity, and respect while maintaining respect for the viewer. It does not become a PSA or an otherwise self-pitying rant. Indeed the chemistry between the family members is artfully directed and there are times when you genuinely forget you are watching a movie. But the there are times when you may think you have seen this movie before. It does not come without a formulaic pattern. But this is truly an actor's film, that is what makes up for it. And the ending, which is unexpected.
A solid and respectable effort by David Schwimmer.
The story is told from the perspective of a 14 year old girl from a prosperous, upper middle class family, who falls for the lure of an internet child predator. At first all communication is conducted using chatrooms, a computer, and a smartphone all under the radar of her family. The interaction evolves into phone conversations, and eventually a physical encounter with the predator, who of course uses an online persona radically different from what he is revealed to be. The encounter is also revealed to her family and the authorities initiating a series devastating psychological and emotional events for the girl, her family, and the world she once knew and understood as best as a 14 year old can comprehend it.
Schwimmer's direction has a nice flavor to it. But this film does have areas where it arcs dangerously close to a stereotyped, Lifetime Channel style. The subject matter, and the manner in which it is filmed, is very uncomfortable to watch at times. But that is not a bad thing, to me it means Schwimmer was unafraid to use shock value for the right reasons, and it means you are invested in it. Some scenes are graphically filmed and makes one uneasy to view them. At times it drags, then picks up, then inexplicably drags again. One or two plot developments make no sense or are not adequately explained. Some dialogue is hard to understand. Nothing is more aggravating while watching an otherwise decent film than the need to back up and relive the scene twice because you didn't understand it the first time. Some moments walk a fine line between superb acting and over acting. I found this especially true with the mother. But mostly, it is indeed superb.
Trust is otherwise a film I do recommend. It treats a very real and painful subject with compassion, sensitivity, and respect while maintaining respect for the viewer. It does not become a PSA or an otherwise self-pitying rant. Indeed the chemistry between the family members is artfully directed and there are times when you genuinely forget you are watching a movie. But the there are times when you may think you have seen this movie before. It does not come without a formulaic pattern. But this is truly an actor's film, that is what makes up for it. And the ending, which is unexpected.
A solid and respectable effort by David Schwimmer.