Trust

TRUST (2010)
Directed by David Schwimmer
Starring Liana Liberato, Clive Owen & Catherine Keener

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.