Trust - 2010
by Dr. Ross Geller or as he´s known by his family and Government :
David Schwimmer
What strikes out at first in "Trust"
is how direct it is. It doesn´t
take much to introduce the big picture
neither does it ask for patience
as it progresses towards the
consolidation of the so called
4th wall [ Or the imaginary "wall" at the front of the stage.]
We are left to witness the
tragic tale of Annie (and her Family),
helplessly and passively
yet at its first moments,
being gradually led to feel of
her father´s frustration even prior
to his own acknowledging of it.
Thus the film is divided into
2 distinct parts [or acts],
each displaying a different
protagonist, until it ultimately
merges into a mutual one,
that will last, filmically speaking,
for only a handful of minutes,
but that will transcend
the credits and go
with us [spectators] to
as far as we allow it to go.
Such is the impact of "Trust",
and it is imperative to add that
such a powerful impact
cannot be fruit of a good
script only, for it is rather
the sum or combination
of well succeeded efforts,
orquestrated by a talented and
reverent director.
Ross, I´m Sorry,
David Schwimmer,
has a beautiful and sincere
perception of the filmic space,
the impression we get out of the whole
is of a relation of respect between
a director and a film that has
more to say and expose than
it has to become, Nicely dosed
as to prioritize the actings and
it´s discourse without failing
to hold it all together to the point
of it not being, as it would otherwise be
doomed to be, a shocking, panphleting work.
It´s rather a sensitive and human
art piece that has a lot to say of our
society´s standings without a slight
shadow of judgmentalism.
So when it does take a clearer
engaging stand, it does it
in its credits, after the thing is finished,
revealing the urgency of its
discourse in a subjective point of
view of a child holding a camera.
As we dive into Annie´s personal universe,
and begin discovering how fragile are her own
'firewalls' [or that protecting intuition that keep
children from running away with a stranger]
we began to be exposed to that which
we often take for granted in children,
namely their trust and
lack of experience. This sense is
what pivots the whole narrative
and shocks characters and
spectators alike at the innocence
of the little girl that still believes
a romance can be had out of
that tragic succession of events.
Liana Liberato (Annie) did in this film
what many great actor haven´t done
in a life time. She´s so precise in her
'becoming' Annie, that it is virtually impossible
not to awe at the maturity and
finesse of her performance.
Complements must also
be cast at Clive Owen´s performance as
Will (Annie´s Father), a role that more than in most
of his prior Hollywood works, has given him the
opportunity of stretching his own boundaries.
With that said, if this picture depended
sole on its outstanding performances
it should still be a great film.
A nice Parentheses must be made about the
esthetical choice for the use of visual aids
such as the resources popularized by BBC´s TV show
'Sherlock' (realeased about a year earlier) here used
brilhantly to explicit what´s happening
in Annie´s computer/celphone screen,
displaying to us as an over lettering on the film´s screen
the online dialogues of the girl in such a way that
we are still permitted to observe her there,
totally absorbed,
ignoring her surroundings,
simultaniously as we are updated on her interactions.
"Trust" then is a very competent drama
that carries in its title two self references,
the first and more obvious one being about the
relationship between Annie and her aggressor,
the second being a accusative one,
or an alert to parents, of the
consequences of their overtrust
in their children´s ability
to discern for themselves.
Its message is as clear as
it is respectable and impartial
and is Over all, a must see artwork
of impressive density
and surprising performances,
carrying a polemic but essential
message to our society,
but that doesn´t shield itself behind
it´s discourse, being of itself
a great film.
