Opiniones de usuarios

This film seems to seek only to be exactly what it seems to be on first viewing, and manages that superbly. And all this is is just one more 'relationship' movie, showing the problems faced in modern life by 'trendy' couples in New York.

The film portrays two couples living in New York, a brother and sister and their respective partners, who have the typical problems with each other. One couple has Julianne Moore and David Duchovny in a marriage gone stale (unimaginatively shown through the medium of having Moore's character repetitively refuse her husband sex), and the other has Maggie Gyllenhaal desperate to further both her career and relationship with a boyfriend who is terrified to commit, apparently because of a fear of dying.

Not exactly original is it. Throughout the movies I just found it to be simply leaning on the stable stereotypes and ideas of every other film of this genre before it, but with little or no effort to flesh out the characters to an interesting level, something vital in a film of this kind. None of the characters in this piece are interesting, and you just cannot bring yourself to care about them. I really expected more from Duchovny and Moore, who we know can do this sort of thing well if they try, and the only one here who vaguely manages to come out of this well is Gyllenhaal, who somehow manages to work through the material and give Elaine a level of naivety and a hope to improve on her lot to make us root for her.

This is where I felt the movie, like many others like it, missed the point; these characters have problems, they're not happy and their relationships are falling apart but they don't seem to want to bother doing anything about it. In fact 'helping yourself' is actively mocked. Tom and Rebecca go to marriage counselling once a year as a joke to wind up their guidance councillor. When Tom joins a sex addicts group (apparently if you're wife refuses to have sex with you ever, and tells you this to your face, if you still want sex yourself it means you're a sex addict. No one wants sex once you have children! What a freak!) we just get shown an amusing group of weirdos with stupid and amusing fetishes involving power tools.

What this shows to me is just one more love story of how New York (once again shown as a seeming example of the epitome of American society) drains people and makes them miserable and alone. How everyone is miserable, but trying to improve your lot is pointless and laughable, so just get over it and you'll get the inevitable happy ending where both couples get what they wanted from the start, not because they've actually changed or started liking each other, but because we've got the end of the film and need to wrap it up for that cathartic happy ending that the audience wants. The moral: don't bother trying to change your life if it's not working, it'll all work out in the end if you pretend your happy.

I watched this movie hoping for a French-style witty and reflective comedy examining complex relationships. What a pity this wasn't a European movie set in the cafés and homes of Paris rather than New York!

After a promising 15 minutes when initial relationships are established, the whole thing rapidly descends into a series of cheap and corny attempts at humour all rounded off with the worst of Hollywood RomCom endings. Secondary characters such as the guy with the foreign accent are one dimensional and clichéd, so that an interesting comedy descends into not-very-funny farce, and the potential for comic examination of believable roles and relationships is lost.

The leads - especially Maggie Gyllenhall, Julianne Moore and David Duchovney - are (as always) excellent. But their contribution is in spite of, not because of, the script.

6/10 - but only to reflect the lead actors' efforts to rescue a really disappointing script.

Tom (David Duchovny) is a stay-at-home dad married to a popular actress (Julianne Moore), while his best friend and her younger brother Tobey (Billy Crudup) has lived for eight years with the hard-working Elaine (Maggie Gyllenhaal) but won't commit to the relationship by marrying her. This is what happens when these four New Yorkers decide to explore other options.

At a glance, Trust the Man seems harmless enough but it's actually fake and a bit too insignificant to really have an impact on the viewer. The script was simple and it wasn't hard to figure out where things were going. The dialog was okay although some of it was a bit unnatural. I'm not from New York so maybe this is actually normal behavior but a lot of the conversations were just awkward and none of it felt real. All of the characters spoke in the same way so the movie got a little irritating because it was just the same personalities on screen and there was no variety. However, some of the dialog and scenes were pretty funny.

The characters weren't particularly interesting and most of them were unlikable. In the beginning, their situations were interesting to watch and then the film ditched the laughs and got all serious. The sudden change of tone invited the viewer to feel sorry for these people even though most were one-dimensional and pretty selfish. So, the first half of the movie was decently funny and consistent. The second half was serious and just not very interesting. The one thing I did like about the movie was the setting and Bart Freundlich did a good job at creating a realistic area. It's too bad he couldn't use some of that realism with the script and characters.

Out of the leading cast, Billy Crudup gave the best performance. His character was pretty selfish yet still engaging and funny. David Duchovny was very wooden and not interesting at all. This was probably the intention although I didn't like the idea of his character at all and his performance was unbearable at times. Maggie Gyllenhaal was fine but she can do better and she didn't seem to really be trying. Julianne Moore had a couple of good scenes although she was a bit over the top and fake. Out of the supporting cast, Eva Mendes was surprisingly funny although she was only on screen for about ten minutes, maybe a little less. She was the only one who stuck out from that group. Overall, Trust the Man had a decent story although it couldn't generate genuine sympathy due to it's shallow and fake storyline. If you like any of the actors, it might be worth a rental although they all have better work out there. Rating 5/10

This film is about the relationship turmoil about two couples, with them all trying their best to save their relationships.

I saw this film mainly because of the stellar cast that the film has assembled. The initial scene of couple therapy reminds me of a similar scene in "Mr And Mrs Smith", and is certainly funny. However, there is not much humour in the film after that. The plot then spirals to become outrageous and unbelievable. This film is marketed as a comedy, and yet I do not think it is funny. It is more drama than comedy.

The film is often slow and fails to grasp the attention of the viewers. I get the impression that events in the film happen just for the sake of happening. I can see no reason why the events happen that way. Maybe it really was because my attention deficit, that I do not even recall seeing David Duchovny's character having any evidence of having an affair at all apart from his self confession.

I think this film could have been good with a better plot, but the plot is quite a mess and does not make viewers interested in what happens next. The ending is artificial and seem forcefully put together. I would not recommend this movie!

I was surprised to see that this movie was being screened at only one theater in my region. When I arrived, it was not named on the electronic display board. I asked if I had made a mistake and was cheerfully told that it was being shown in theater no.12! I bought a ticket and sat alone, unsurprisingly, I guess.

I thought the movie was pretty good. It explores the complexity of feeling in relationships that have become stale and habituated - a common occurrence these days. It reminded me of a goofy version of Woody Allen's Hannah And Her Sisters. I thought the scene of Duchovny attending the sex addicts' therapy group for the first time was truly hilarious. Not often that I laugh out loud at the cinema. (Odd that the fox Mulder character enjoyed watching porn.) Sadly, I was disappointed by the ending, which just stretched the imagination too far, for me.

In these days of blockbuster-obsessed America though, it's great to see a small budget movie like this, even if I had to hunt it down.

To be honest, I had no idea what to expect from this movie and as it started I had no idea which direction it was heading to. At first it really seemed like the movie wasn't going to do anything good or interesting with its story but once it does, the movie gets a quite good one to watch, within its genre and I simply really enjoyed it for what is was.

What I like about this movie is that it never becomes a melodramatic or sappy one, like movies like this often tend to do. The situations and characters within this movie are being kept mostly real and so are all of their emotions and feelings. This is the foremost reason why I kept liking this movie throughout. I liked were the story was going and the overall message of it.

Yes, it still also really is a comedy though, so some of the situations and characters are still being exaggerated for comedy effect. But just like its drama, the comedy never pushes it too far, until its end, when the movie suddenly becomes more goofy. But overall I still really liked the balance between the comedy and the drama of this movie.

Thing that also truly keeps this movie interesting and good to watch is its cast. It really has a surprisingly good cast in it. Julianne Moore, Maggie Gyllenhaal, David Duchovny, Billy Crudup, Ellen Barkin, Bob Balaban and Eva Mendes all in one movie. That's quite amazing actually for such a low-key movie as this one. Every actor was fine within their role but the one that stood out most to me was David Duchovny, who is trying so hard the last couple of years to become a legit actor after his "X-Files" fame. He had an hard time getting rid of his image but if he keeps on playing like he does in this movie, he should be alright.

I can still see all of this movie its flaws, such as some story issues and some misplaced comedy at times but as an overall experience, I surprisingly liked this movie and I honestly liked it better than just the average genre attempt.

7/10

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I rented this movie because of the great cast. I finished it amazed that any established actor would have accepted a role in this thing based on the script, which was lame, unoriginal, and mildly offensive in its attempts at humor. Rarely has a battle of the sexes been so predictable. The story was filled with stereotypes and stereotypical behavior. The men came off as overgrown children. In any real world, their female counterparts wouldn't have put up with them for two weeks, much less years. It was painful to watch a game cast try to breath some humanity and originality into these characters. Moments intended as funny or telling merely smelled bad. Woody Allen covered the same ground years ago in a much better way. Try Hannah And Her Sisters. This particular would-be Woody update added nothing to the genre.

This is one of those ensemble romantic comedy movies. A bunch of 'characters' are mixed together, and go through the ups and downs of married life, and singles love life, etc. It can be as interesting as any other. And newness, or outright freshness is NOT a requirement for this kind of movie to work. After all, isn't it true that most of us can relate to screen people falling in love, having problems, facing dilemmas, and overcoming them? However, even though the cast is first rate, and there are lots of 'scenes' and lots of things happening, the flow is kind of stilted. The characters seem a little too pat, too 'drawn', too much like some script writer's IDEA of what people in love situations should be like, to be interesting. Like a mediocre comedian trying desperately hard to be funny, these characters try desperately hard to be poignant and interesting. And that, sadly, makes them exactly NOT very real, and not very interesting.

Maggie Gyllenhaal was probably the best character in this movie. She's a quirky and marvelous actor, with a great down-to-earth female presence. Ellen Barkin, in her brief and inserted-looking cameo, was also great. She is one stupendous old broad! Seriously, she is a hot and sexy woman of 52.

I have to say that although Billy Crudup (has he thought about changing that name? Jeez!) was wonderful in 'Almost Famous', here was a royal pain in the bottom. What an annoying character!!! And ditto for David Duchovney's character, although his wasn't quite as annoying, he was nonetheless maddeningly stupid (the character, not the actor).

Julianne Moore was solid--- nothing too hot, nothing too bitchy. But again, the exciting person here was Maggie G.

Overall, this was kind of clumsy, and a little bit strained. But I still 'liked' it OK enough. It would make a pleasant date movie. I gave it a judicious 6 out of 10.

I missed this one at last year's Toronto International Film Fesival, but have just seen a preview prior, presumably to its Toronto release.

For me live-in lovers Billy Crudup and Maggie Gyllenhall delivered sparkling performances far more sympatici than the other couple -- the married pair of Julianne Moore and David Duchovny who also did their job well, but it's the antics of the former two that keep this film alive and moving.

Without wising a spoiler on you, I was in a genuine state of suspense over whether or not this movie would have a feel good ending.

The behaviour of these four characters is not really rooted in reality -- who expects this of a comedy? -- but their quirks and good qualities are sufficiently close to it speak for the times.

There were several good laughs and a couple of good running jokes which didn't pall on me.

I found Trust the Man a likable effort which should prove popular in spite of what I know will be some critics' objections for occasional in-your-face crudities

Well, I must say that I really did enjoy the film very much. Each and every one of the cast was wonderful. The audience reaction was very good. There was not just some giggles but out and out belly laughing. I'm not sure what critics look for in a film, but I found it thoroughly enjoyable. Trust The Man was a very enjoyable way to spend a summer evening. I found that David Duchovny is really a very good comedic actor. He was a stand out in this film. He and Julianne Moore have a wonderful on screen chemistry. Billy C and Maggie G also were adorable together. Many of the critics didn't care for the ending, but hell, I thought it was cute. Gave me some great laughs throughout. I'd give the cast a 10 and the plot a 7. I found the cast was able to rise above the script and make it a fun film to watch. There are far to few films out there today that appeal to adults. and Trust The Man hit the spot for me and my husband .

With over 100 feature films released in year, it can be hard to keep track of all the titles worth tracking down and checking out. Last year I saw a preview for Trust the Man before Thank You For Smoking, but with the great number of other flicks coming out in wider release, I forgot about it until this weekend. After watching it, I wish I had forgotten about it completely for there is almost nothing redeeming about this cinematic catastrophe. The cast has no chemistry, the writing and directing is amateurish, and cinematography is murky.

However, the picture's biggest fault is the tone. Trust the Man drifts uneasily from dirty sex comedy to tepid romance to boring drama from scene to scene, making for not only an extremely frustrating viewing experience, but an uncomfortable one as well. It's as writer/director Bart Freundlich didn't know what genre he wanted his movie to fall under during shooting, thinking that he would decide later in the editing room. Apparently that didn't work out either as it seems there are numerous scenes missing or incomplete. Other scenes go on far too long(the scenes with Billy Crudup in his car are perfect examples). There wasn't a single scene in Trust the Man I found effective, funny, or well done. The plot is a huge mess, gaping with holes. The only reason I give it a 1 as opposed to a zero is I reserve zeros for only those films that I find morally offensive/repugnant or without any artistic value whatsoever. 1/10

When I saw the trailer for this film earlier this year, I placed it under my radar to watch if it makes its way here. I would like to have loved this film, but try as I may, I just couldn't. Not that it's a bad film, but it had too much cramped into it, with subplots flying off in various directions, and the flow just feels too bloated.

It's been some time since we last saw David Duchovny on screen. I'm a fan of his Fox Mulder, but after the series ended, it seemed that he has difficulty securing regular appearances in movies these days. He doesn't seem to age, and his latest outing in this movie is testament to that, save for that bearded look toward the end. His character, Tom, is interesting enough as the sex addict (yeah, you read that right), who just can't get enough of the hot and heavy from his wife Rebecca, played by Julianne Moore.

For this couple, we look at their marital woes, or woes that exist but always swept and kept under the carpet. It doesn't help when husband and wife reverses roles, with him becoming a house husband with plenty of time in his hands, and she spending long hours away with her theatre rehearsals. And when an attractive divorcée comes into the picture, all hell breaks loose of course.

Written and directed by director Bart Freundlich (real life husband of Julianne Moore), the story contrasts this couple with another, that of Tobey (Billy Crudup) and Elaine (Maggie Gyllenhaal). They are your perennial long term dating pair, with one eager to tie the knot, while the other just being commitment phobic. The hairline cracks finally give way, and we go into deep examination of the doom and gloom, the familiarity and the taking for granted, your other half.

There's plenty of dialogue in this movie, but don't expect most of them to be funny all the time. No quality wisecracks can be found here. While some are humorous, they come off rather contrived. Many scenes are also set around the (dinner) table, which offers the perfect opportunity for the characters to get together and share their thoughts, being conveniently related to one another, through blood relations and friendship. What's interesting though, is the reminder constantly played throughout, about the need to be totally honest about each other, even though this will mean having to declare things you know will definitely hurt. A cry for help shouldn't be blown away.

Again there are plenty more scenes shot which didn't make it to the final cut, and the editing was not slick enough to cover up these open end hanging feeling between scenes. A whole host of supporting cast like Gary Shandling and Eva Mendes amongst others, get so minuscule a role, they just adds to the needless character count, and contribute to the fat not required in story development.

But if you think you're in need of some serious romance drama, and potentially the need to reaffirm your love for someone, or in the mood for some discussions about the various themes put across - of love, faith, lust and sex, then Trust the Man will be your clear choice this week.

B

3.5/5

A story of how two men desperately trying to win the love of their women.One married with kids,other is trying to get married with a women who can't stand him.And their mistakes and errors pretty much make it harder for them to get it done.

A good natured ,light-weight comedy that entertains and amuses.With a standout performance by Billy Crudup and David Duckovny.The pairs are a delight to watch and this sure is something fresh and light.It's an easy going film.And for a nice time ,this is a good funny entertainment.It's a likable dramedy throughout.

Trust the Man -reviewed by Sam Osborn

-rating: 3 out of 4

The Manhattan of the movies has always been amorphous, malleable in the sense that it shifts to the filmmaker's demand. Scorsese, for example, often manifests his New York into a visual representation of Hell, whereas Woody Allen tends to make it a cobblestone Heaven. Now recently I've moved into the city, to a tenth floor room above Greenwich Village where Trust the Man supposedly resides. The opening shot is set two blocks away from where I'm writing now, in fact. The effect of having experienced everyday life here is that now I see the cracks and fissures of Hollywood's Manhattan. Bart Freundlich, writer and director of Trust the Man, is doing his best impression of Woody Allen here, especially in making the directorial assertion that New York City is a place where only Publishers, Actors and Writers live, and where minorities are only found polishing shoes to give such upper crust white society their services. It's a wonderland of very comfortable proportions; a place you cozy up to and snuggle with. The real New York City has very little to do with snuggling, mind you, and Bart Freundlich's version is almost entirely nonexistent.

But Trust the Man doesn't really require a realistic Manhattan for its story to work. It requires only rich characters and a wealth of good humor, both of which Mr. Freundlich has. In fact, ignoring all the financial woes and common worries of the average New Yorker is kind of the film's schtick. In this world, people only worry about affairs, relationships and sex; not the boring trash that the rest of us deal with. It avoids the clichés of furrowed eyebrows over piles of overdue bills to make way for an easy sitcom-esquire romantic tale.

The players in this easy yarn are Tom and Rebecca (David Duchovny and Julianne Moore), a married couple with three young children, and Tobey and Elaine (Billy Crudup and Maggie Gyllenhaal), unmarried but facing much of the same issues as their betrothed friends. Tom is a borderline sex addict, pawing lovingly at his wife as she walks to and from the stage where she works as a famous actress. Tobey is a lazy sports journalist who calls Elaine at her work to ask what a good word would be for "fish lover". Both couples have their respectable problems and discuss them over countless scenes of luncheon and wine. Elaine wants a baby and Tobey is pre-occupied with death as Tom begins to seem bored with his role as a stay-at-home dad. Rebecca seems to have the least worries, but is continually dealing with the dorky flirtation of a young co-worker.

The film progresses much the way a sitcom would, glossing over serious drama with easy humor and wit. Woody Allen has a tendency to do this, but has the grace to fit anxiety, depression and woe into his endless Manhattan charm. Freundlich wants nothing to do with such emotions and would rather invest in chuckles and one-liners. At one point, Tom makes the epiphany that throughout his marriage he's been using humor to mask the real problems that are razing his life. Trust the Man might do well to have the same revelation.

But although Trust the Man might play like a sitcom, it plays like a damn good one. The characters are full and lovable, inhabited by talented actors who know both comic delivery and the faces that spell sadness. And the writing is snappy, rarely missing a beat and striking a chord just below Allen's usual intellectual quirk. David Duchovny is most impressive as Tom, shedding the laconic skin of Agent Mulder for a mellow, droopy-eyed husband with a good-natured wit. The rest are all wonderful too, but don't stray far from their usual casting. It all makes for a quick little snap of a film; one that won't ask for contemplation or analysis, but that instead asks for a belief in a group of snappy New Yorkers living in a breezy, lemon-drop metropolis.

The only thing this movie has going for it is the acting talent. There is no story, no arc, and the characters take an incredibly shallow view on relationships. Just like the other 2 B. Freundlich movies, it is all talk and no substance. Boring and has nothing to say. Tries way too hard to be funny, and all the forced jokes just fall flat. Since IMDb is forcing me to write 10 full lines, I will continue by saying that Julianne Moore is luminous as always, David Duchovny is very likable, Billy Crudup is over-the-top and annoying (scenery chewing much?) and Maggie Gyllenhaal is wonderful. She is the best thing in the movie and rises above the weak material.

I had heard Trust the Man would be a page out of the Woody Allen catalog. I had also heard words such as 'sophisticated', 'smart', and 'hip' tossed around. What I found were actors trapped in their predictable roles with only rare genuine emotions expressed.

I was very disappointed that one of my favorite actors (Moore) comes off in a very unfavorable light. I'm also curious as to why every couple in this film invented reasons why they should stay together, when clearly there exists no believable chemistry.

Perhaps this movie failed because it was too sweet. Perhaps if it had relied less on wit, and more on authentic marital woes it would have resonated with a broader audience.

Bottom line: The movie is fluff. Woody Allen is not yet out of a job.