David Schwimmer's latest directorial outing marks a significant departure from his debut, 2007's Run Fatboy Run. Trust follows the course of events leading up to and surrounding the sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl, and tackles the issue at hand with admirable sensitivity, as well as the realism necessary to deliver its vital message. As a film, though, it is not without its flaws.
The problems I have mostly surround the script. As a narrative it is solid, if not brilliant, but the dialogue is littered with cliches, and moments that should have been handled subtely are delivered with surprising obviousness - at one point to an extent where I felt my intelligence as a viewer was almost being insulted.
To give a great performance on the back of a great script is one thing, but to accomplish this with a mediocre one, and at only 15, is another thing altogether. Liana Liberato gives an ashtonishing performance here as the innocent if naive teenager Annie Cameron, whose emotional turmoil is seen just as clearly as you would see from an accomplished actor twice her age. It's a remarkably mature turn and I commend her for staying away from typical teenage roles - she could be one to watch for the future.
Solid support is provided from Catherine Keener (who, as far as I know does a good job in everything she's in) as Annie's mother, Lynn and Clive Owen as her grief-stricken, loyal but misguided dad, Will. Both characters are developed well and we see the division the situation causes between the two parents in full detail as Will misdirects his energy in the form of anger towards the criminal when he should be focussing on supporting his daughter.
There is a genuine emotional depth to this film, and some truly powerful moments. The characters we discover are very much real, as is the world they live in. As a viewer, it was easy for me to become emotionally invested in these characters, something which I feel great directing helped to achieve.
Ultimately, the conclusion I have to draw about Trust is that it is a very good movie - but one prevented from being great at the hands of a script with definite room for improvement. Great performances from pretty much the entire cast, helped in no small way by Schwimmer's skillful directing allowed me to push past this and enjoy it, but it is unfortunately not the truly powerful contemporary drama it had the potential to be. See it for the message if nothing else.
And nice review on Trust even if I've never heard of it! 
Passed me by somehow I'm glad you enjoyed the review. I'd definitely recommend you give it a watch.
I'll rent it soon though, or catch it next time it's on.
With his 2009 offering Invictus, director Clint Eastwood has successfully translated the heartwarming and inspirational story of South Africa's 1995 Rugby World Cup triumph to the big screen.
Very much central to the story and vital to the film's success is Morgan Freeman in his Oscar-nominated role as the then newly elected South African President Nelson Mandela. In all honesty, I have to commend the man simply for taking this role on - I can only imagine the pressure that comes with playing one of the most inspirational and well-respected men of our generation. But, Morgan Freeman being Morgan Freeman, I came to realise that his talent and commitment to the role was never in doubt. He pulls it off once again with his trademark power, finesse and, above all, accuracy.
Matt Damon, as Springboks captain Francois Pienaar, is very good, as is most of the rest of the cast, but the film is not without it's lapses in terms of performances. Luckily most of these come from minor characters, but occasionally the dialogue can sound a little forced or cliched.
The subject matter of the film means a fair bit of time is taken up by Rugby scenes. Predominantly, they are excellently done and the filmmakers make good use of those crunching, scraping and crushing sounds as well as intimate camera work to make you feel as if you are at the heart of the action. The accuracy problems most if not all sport films have is present though and some things, especially to someone who follows the sport, might not add up - technically or in terms of how the players/officials act. This is understandable though. You have to find a balance of accuracy and entertainment in these situations and for the most part that is achieved.
Invictus is a nice movie. Nothing more, nothing less. Apart from perhaps Freeman's performance, there is nothing groundbreaking but it is as far as I can tell an accurate portrait of the man and the events, and an interesting pseudo-documentary that is also entertaining on a dramatic level, and works whether you're a fan of the sport or not. A nice way to spend 2 hours.
Films like this are hard to come by nowadays, in a movie industry dominated by summer blockbusters. Thank god for movies like Lars and the Real Girl, because when such delightful little gems, filled to the brim with warmth and a genuine heart, come along, a little of my faith is restored.
Perhaps the most amazing thing about it is that it manages this feat all on a premise that on first hearing, sounds 100% ridiculous. One reviewer before me remarked that, "it's nothing less than a miracle that [the filmmakers] have been able to make such an endearing, intelligent and tender comedy from a premise that, in other hands, might sustain a five-minute sketch on TV". To me, this is completely on the nose and indeed nothing short of a miracle.
In a role seemingly built for him, Ryan Gosling once again impresses as the cripplingly shy but incredibly kindly Lars, who develops a unique relationship with a doll, "Bianca", whom he orders off the internet. As his family and the inhabitants of his small town get to grips with his delusion, we see a story unfold that is a tribute to human kindness, tolerance and a willingness to sacrifice to help another - positive attributes seemingly lacking both in modern film and society at large. But I honestly felt as if I was watching something real here.
Such striking originality is also a rarity now and a concept such as this could quite easily have been derailed by a less talented directing/writing team. Nancy Oliver's script flows seamlessly and duly delivers with the obvious humor the idea provides, but never ruins it by taking it into the realms of cheesiness or mockery. More impressive is her ability to weave genuine heart-felt drama into a story that could have easily (but wrongly) taken a purely comedic route. That thoroughly touching drama is where the film is at its best and, I can't stress this enough, to make an audience really, deeply feel for a character and the events surrounding an inanimate object, indirectly through Lars' relationship and the people's reaction, is to me something absolutely incredible and a result of some genius writing. Oscar nod deserved.
In the director's chair, Craig Gillespie facilitates said wonderful script brilliantly, resulting in fantastic performances from Emily Mortimer and Paul Schneider, as Lars' worried but altogether supportive brother and sister-in-law, as well as the entire supporting cast. The cinematography of the small Canadian towns where the film was shot is fantastically intimate and serene, just as I would imagine them to be, and captures the mood of the film and the township's character perfectly.
Not everyone will like Lars and the Real Girl. It is severely lacking in car chases, explosions and gun battles, or any kind of excitement for that matter. But if you're looking for something real, something that will move you, something that will let you experience a piece of absolute genuine humanity, then I urge you to pick it up and give it a watch. Magnificent.
Although I resent the fact that you wrote a better review of the film than I did! How dare you!!! 
Although I resent the fact that you wrote a better review of the film than I did! How dare you!!! 
Thanks though.
Some of you might already know my views regarding the Harry Potter franchise - that the books are perfect, and the films are not. I've stuck with that for a long time. Going into The Deathly Hallows: Part 2 tonight, I expected more of the same - a loving but fundamentally flawed homage to what I consider the best series of books ever written. Happily though, I was proven wrong this time - it's a brilliant finale.
Perhaps my mindset changed more than anything. I consciously decided to try and look at this one as a stand-alone film, rather than an adaptation, and I think that helped. Rather than thinking, "that wasn't in the book", I thought, "hey, that's a nice addition".
A genuine emotion is brought to the performances here by the cast - there are many, many sad moments in the story and they are executed extremely well, something lacking in the previous installments. I wasn't even annoyed by Michael Gambon as much as I usually am. Throw in the usual stellar special effects and action sequences and you've got yourself a movie.
I was extremely pleased to see the very end of the movie stay faithful to the book - almost to the letter. As usual this is a spoiler-free review but those who have read will know. I thought it was extremely well done.
An extremely fitting conclusion, then. I may well add to this review tomorrow, I just wanted to get some thoughts posted while they were still fresh in my mind.
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