Review of Trust the Man (2005) by Mark B — 03 Dec 2007

Trust the Man is a new romantic comedy directed by Bart Freundlich and starring his real-life wife Julianne Moore as an actress making the transition from film to stage, whilst experiencing severe strain in her marriage to David Duchovnyâ??s stay-at-home dad. Billy Crudup (the guitarist from Almost Famous) co-stars as Mooreâ??s brother, a thirty-something man with seemingly no ambitions who (surprise surprise) is experiencing severe strain in his long-term relationship with Maggie Gyllenhaal. They are seduced by (in order): a strapping young actor, a sexy divorcee, a sexually candid Latina (Eva Mendes) and a lesbian book publisher (plus a personality-challenged French guy). I sincerely hope that Freundlich has not based Trust the Man on his own marriage, because Moore is certainly a very good sport if he did.

Trust the Man should be the film textbook definition of an overwritten movie. Composed almost entirely of underdeveloped subplots, attempting to describe the plot is almost as difficult as liking the characters. Even now I am unsure whether some of these subplots even occurred. Take for example, the aforementioned â??seductions.â?? Do Julianne Moore and her actor pal have an affair? My impression was that yes, the audience was intended to assume this. But consider. What do we actually see? They make sweet-talk in an early scene, he shouts her a glass of wine later, and finally, gives her a massage. There is not one scene to suggest that she is having more than merely a good time.

The same could be said of each affair subplot. The other man/woman to every main character is a stereotype, employed purely to move the plot forward. Eva Mendes has only three scenes to make an impression, which with such limited screen-time, she (needless to say) fails to do. Of course, the blame is not hers to bear. Director Freundlich seems utterly afraid to throw in a little sexiness to the proceedings, even though the audience knows it is pivotal to the plot. Yes, this is one of those movies where the characters talk an awful lot about sex, but rarely engage in any.

The film reminds me inextricably of Closer, the Mike Nichols film from last year. I didnâ??t enjoy that one too much either; however, it at least understood how thoroughly unlikeable its characters were. Trust the Man is lighter, frothier, more artificial, more contrived. The final ten minutes or so are embarrassingly over-the-top and dissipate any interest generated previously. To say that the climax wraps things up with a neat and tidy bow would be to neglect tinsel and a pom-pom.

Despite the limitations of their characters, the attractive cast is a plus. Duchovny, Moore and especially Gyllenhaal are fine actors who have done better in the past and will do in the future. Only Crudup really engages the audience; his facial quirks and body language score some laughs in a couple of scenes. Garry Shandling has a strange subplot that never pays off (like so many in the film) as Crudupâ??s therapist. The essential problem is that (apart from Crudup) all of these people are far more beautiful on the outside than on the inside.

What insights into modern relationships did I learn from Trust the Man? (a) Every person in a relationship will be offered the temptation of an affair, (b) the differences between married life and long-term relationship life are minimal (both are over-rated) and (c) all will be forgiven by one partner if the other partner gives a brilliant public protestation of their love (this may only work if security try to stop you and/or everyone in the crowd stops to watch). (c) has its practical applications, but I fear that (a) and (b) may be a little too pessimistic for the target audience.

If I were so bold as to re-write Trust the Man, I think I would totally cut one couple out of the script. As is, Freundlichâ??s film never really gets off the ground, with at least a dozen subplots chasing each other around for screen time. A single episode of Desperate Housewives contains more laughs, drama and insight than what is on display here. Trust me, it ainâ??t worth watching.