Trust Me

What do you look for in a movie?

Today, it seems like every film has to have a bit of everything: comedy, tragedy, levity and suspense all hung up in this thing we call drama.

It's nearly impossible to do it, I mean, even Shakespeare kept his comedy and tragedy separate. One of the few writers and directors I have seen capable of doing this outside of the scope of literature is Clark Gregg.

You might know him from Iron Man and the Avengers and Agents of Shield: Phil Coulson. But you might not connect him to 'Choke' that awesome movie he wrote and directed, starring Sam Rockwell.

This film is impossible to talk about without spoiling it, so let me stay on the outside.

"Trust Me" A story about a child agent named Howard who has watched his client list dwindle and his life degrade gets a big shot at success when he begins to represent a teen named Lydia, who has a shot at a feature role in a movie.

Howard is a good guy and all he cares about is the future of these child actors, hell, he was one himself and knows the sting of being forgotten and left broke; but as he works to do what is best for Lydia, he is oblivious to his fate.

This was an enjoyable movie, any way you look at it. It had the great one liners from Marcy (Amanda Peet) and rival agent Aldo (Sam Rockwell), sustained comedy from Howard (Clark Gregg's character). Lydia (Saxon Sharbino) wavered between emotions, going from light to dark so easily. The acting never took me out of the story.

Clark Gregg has a directing style that is not so much surreal as Visionary. You see what the protagonist sees until he or she realizes their place and you become aware. Because of that, his films have a detective, mystery, noir feel, though they are not quite those types of dramas. You are on the outside, trying to understand and that makes for an absorbing story. Among other things, he is a capable writer.

This was a film that drew me in from the start, even though I had no connection to Child Acting or Hollywood. "Trust Me" is a movie about 'becoming' something, being let go from who you feel you have to be. Whether you look at Howard, the main character; Lydia, the young actress; Marcy (Amanda Peet), Howard's divorced neighbor. All these characters are trying to let go and become who they are.

"Trust Me" is worth a watch.

Along with the obscure gem "The TV set", this movie "Trust Me" is one of my favorites for blowing the lid off the sleazy cut-throat industry that cranks out what we're all here for: movies. It does it in an entertaining way, both darkly comedic as well as suspensefully dramatic. And ultimately it depicts the powerful & eternal struggle between honesty and success (which applies no matter what career we're talking about).

As other reviewers have said, don't just expect a comedy although the wacky title and DVD description may lead you to believe it. Instead this is a powerful story with a lot of heart. It does have some really funny moments particularly in the beginning, but as the tangled web gets woven, the film appropriately shifts to a more serious tone, almost like a thriller or crime drama at times.

Writer-director-star Clark Gregg knocks it outta the park on all levels. He plays the quintessential good guy in a sea of scum (such as the awesomely detestable Sam Rockwell playing his arch-nemesis, a rival agent). All his life he seems to be the personification of "nice guys finish last". But then he meets up with his one big shot: a talented unknown actress played by Saxon Sharbino (herself a fresh new face). But things soon get crazy, and I'm not just talking about the sleazy Hollywood types. The story takes an unexpected twist which really puts our hero to the test regarding how far he should go to protect the young girl who has put all her faith in him.

Some surreal dream-like moments (such as maybe a vampire scene?) and nice cinematography add tremendous personality to this flick. The script is excellent, especially with the witty, fast-paced banter between Gregg and Amanda Peet. And be on the lookout for some great bit roles by William H Macy (the creepy Audi salesman), Molly Shannon (the "milf") and the aforementioned Sam Rockwell.

I highly recommend this film to anyone who is considering getting into, or who is currently in, the entertainment business whether it's acting, writing, singing or heck even professional athletes & artists whose careers are potentially shaped (mutilated?) by those slick suits we know too well. Similarly-themed and similarly-vibed films include "Circus Maximus" about a writer who has 1 weekend to write a blockbuster film, "The TV Set" about a writer whose honest idea is slowly getting corrupted into a Hollywood abomination, and of course the big one "Jerry Maguire" about a sports agent's last shot at the big time. Alongside "Trust Me" these are all great flicks that might just change your approach to career & life. Vampire fangs are optional.

Really good at the beginning and then it COMPLETELY lost itself at the end. American Beauty, Uncut Gems and Birdman all did it better.

The movie is very lack of comedy for a movie considered as a comedy. But you can't say it's a bad movie, the storytelling was good... Until the end. The ending was very unexpected but not in a good way. Film couldn't pull it off an ending like that and it ruined the movie for me. To end a movie like that, they should have gone a different direction for the whole movie. Because it didn't fit. It was a little too dark.

Clark Gregg and Amanda Peet was good though. You can say the casting is well. Nobody seemed like that they don't belong there.

I guess you can watch the movie without high expectations. And without expecting a comedy of course.

I can't tell if the trailer is false advertisement to reach a bigger audience, or if it was done on purpose to surprise the viewer, but either way, this movie is far from a comedy and is hands down a drama with even a few metaphorical tid-bits and some film noir influences.

Plot: Howard Holloway(Clark Gregg, mostly known for his role as Agent Phil Coulson in S.H.I.E.L.D., Avenger etc.) is a former child star who, after his career went down, started his own agency to represent child stars of his own. Business is running slow and to make things worse, his most promising clients are getting poached by his "arch enemy" Aldo (Sam Rockwell). His love life is not doing well either, as his approaches on his crush and neighbour Marcy(Amanda Peet) are not leading anywhere either. This all seems to change abruptly when he manages to land a promising new actress, named Lydia(Saxon Sharbino), without his doing to be honest.

What does start off and sound like a "stereotypical" underdog hits big comedy plot couldn't be farther away from that.

Clark Gregg (who also wrote and directed Trust Me) is taking you on a ride that starts as a mild comedy with some shades of drama and step by step turns it into a fully fledged drama that will leave you surprised.

The acting throughout the whole movie is solid and really lives off the great chemistry between the actors. Especially Saxon Sharbino is standing out with her great performance that will go from childly innocent to devastated to treacherous in a heartbeat.

I can't stretch this enough, but don't expect to end the movie with a smile or laughter. It really is not a comedy. The movie even has a few metaphorical tid-bits that don't really stand out at first, but at the end you get what they were supposed to mean. And on top of that the movie even has a few film noir moments that don't seem to fit at all if you got the trailer in mind, but they are scarcely spread in the movie and really fit the mood.

Overall I can definitely recommend this movie.