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A big thankyou to everyone who comments on my reviews!!
You can check out my blog here:
www(dot)iloveblocparty(dot)blo gspot(dot)com
Member since:16.05.2005
Reviews:8
I bought this film on the merits of its A-list cast only, having never really heard of it before. I mean, a film with David Duchovny, Julianne Moore, Maggie Gylenhaal and the mighty Billy Crudup in its leading roles surely wouldn't dissapoint?? Alas, it did.
The worst thing about this film is the script. I have no idea how much the cast were paid but it must have been a lot to entice them to act in such a poorly written farce of a film. The story centres on two couples, Gylenhaal and Crudup, and Moore (playing Crudup's sister) and Duchovny. Its indicative of the film that I cared so little for the characters that I can't even remember their names. (I watched it 2 nights ago). SPOILER! SKIP IF YOU DONT WANT TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENS! The plot is essentially about how these two couple split up but then get back together. SPOILER OVER.
The painful and pointless opening scene, depicting Duchovny and Moores' child on the toilet complaining that he is unable to "go" sets the tone for the rest of the film. For what I thought would be an adult look at the state of modern relationships, there is an alarming amount of toilet humour. Now I love fart gags as much as the next guy, as long as they're in context. I confess I found it disturbing to see Duchovny spout the pearl of wisdom, "A fart is as good as a burp, sometimes better."
Another thing I hated about this film was its lack of moral resolution. MORE SPOILERS!! When Moore confronts Duchovny about his infidelity, his somewhat casual explanation is that he is struggling to "find out who he is". A pretty lame excuse to cheat on your wife and kids if you ask me. Later, their reconciliation is catalysed by an awfully cheesy note that he writes. So, the moral of the story is that its ok to cheat because you'll be forgiven? I saw no reason why his character deserved a happy ending. SPOILERS OVER.
The acting wasnt bad, the cast did the best they could with the script. Moore plays a slightly insecure mother and actress, married to Duchovny, a sexually frustrated house-husband. Gylenhaal, playing Moore's close friend and Crudup's girlfriend, was nice enough, although she didn't stand out, and I felt her role could easily have been played by any other actress. Crudup was in my opinion the best thing about this film. It was nice to see him play an 'everyman' role. His character is slightly emotionally retarded, with a commitment phobia inspired by his fear of death, and he provided nearly all of the film's highlights.
I couldn't believe how cheesy this film was! It was very predictable, with an abundance of cliches. And Moore's theatre scenes were laughable, for all the wrong reasons. Duchovny's scene at the Sexaholics Anonymous meeting, while obviously meant to be amusing, came across as tacky. I found it hard to identify with any of the characters, except perhaps Crudup, or even like them, with the exceptions of Moore and again Crudup. Perhaps with a different cast, it would have been more palatable, but you can't help judgng the film by the actors' previous works. The funniest part for me was Gylenhaal's European friend, who speaks in plurals. Thats is how poor this movie is.
I would recommend this only if you dont mind saccharine films without little or no substance. Don't make the same mistake I did and watch it for the cast, as you will only be dissapointed.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Production Year: 2004 - Drama - Director: Nick Cassavetes - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over, 12 years and over - Starring: Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling, Gena Rowlands
Re-rated based on Ciao's insistence that such reviews are no longer considered "Off Topic"
Soho_Black 05.03.2007 13:53
I see you've posted this as a DVD review, but you've not mentioned the DVD. Are there any extras? If so, what are they and are they any good? If you add to this, or if you change it to be posted as a "Film Only" review, which can be done by accessing "edit review" above the review and changing the drop down menu under the "Which format are you reviewing?" question at the bottom, please let me know and I'll re-rate.
Collingwood21 04.03.2007 14:15
I vaguely remember seeing a trailer for this in the cinema, but I wasn't tempted to see the film - just as well, really!
A smart, sophisticated comedy about the challenges of love and marriage among modern day ... more
New Yorkers, TRUST THE MAN features the romantic escapades of two couples: a successful actress, her stay at home husband, her slacker young brother and his aspiri...
...he's doing the best he can. Overachieving actress Rebecca (Julianne Moore) must come ... more
to grips with her failing marriage to stay-at-home dad Tom (David Duchovny). While Rebecca's slacker brother Tobey (Billy Crudup) can't seem to commit to his ...
Postage & Packaging: £0.00 Availability: 3-5 working days
![Trust The Man [DVD] [2006]](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/78036217.jpg "Trust The Man [DVD] [2006]")
Mar 4th, 2007
very helpful by (58%):
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