Trust

I had the privilege to be among the first in North America to screen David Schwimmer's latest film last night at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), with cast members including Clive Owen and Catherine Keener (two of my favourite actors) present as well as the director, Schwimmer himself.

Before the screening, the former "Friends" star provided some valuable context for the film, sharing his personal connection to the topic. It was enlightening to learn that he himself is a dedicated advocate for survivors of sexual assault/abuse and has spent a great deal of time working and interacting with the families impacted, because the film was executed with such a sensitivity and deep psychological understanding around the difficult topic.

Before delving into my review let me just say upfront (for those who are quickly trying to decide whether or not to see this) that this is a good movie, and yes you should see it.

I also went into this film not knowing its rating and I can assure you, that while the subject is very heavy and there are some disturbing scenes and some violence, there is nothing here so sexually graphic that it is too uncomfortable to watch - even my husband who I would consider to be a "sensitive" viewer did not find the film to be graphic.

"Trust" is the kind of movie that relies heavily upon the plausibility of its dialogue and the believability of its actors. If the script was poorly written or the innumerable emotional scenes poorly acted, the whole thing might have been a disaster for Schwimmer.

Instead, Kenner and Owen turned in Oscar-worthy performances that invited viewers into their home, their marriage and their suffering. Under great direction, Owen led his character through a roller-coaster of emotions that was accessible to viewers, as we shared in his character's progression through anger, grief and understanding.

Not to be overlooked, and the true star of this film, is the young Liana Liberato who plays the daughter and the victim with such authenticity that it was at some times painful to watch. Not enough can be said about how incredible she was in this film - I think the career she has ahead of her will speak for itself.

Of course, the best acting in the world would have been wasted if the screenplay was weak, but with Robert Festinger (who wrote the screenplay for "In the Bedroom") on board, you can expect a convincing storyline and dialogue that felt real.

At times, the film comes dangerously close to being cliché or cheesy like a television drama or TV movie-of-the-week. And this is almost inevitable when trying to make a cautionary drama with the underlying objective of raising awareness around a societal issue. However any time you feel the film beginning to veer down this path, it is rescued by the incredible acting and you forget once more that you are watching a film. Even the ending which I thought at first was a bit overly sentimental, quickly took an unexpected and dark turn that, for me, restored its credibility.

This is a powerful and very important film, not just for families but also for David Schwimmer's career because now the sitcom actor-turned- director has established himself as a serious and very capable dramatic filmmaker who is not afraid to take on challenging material.

I'm not sure how well "Trust" will do outside of the film festival or if it would appeal to mass audiences, however I do hope people see it, especially those who care about this important issue.

I would definitely watch a David Schwimmer film again in the future - he has legitimate talent behind the camera and should he make more marketable movies in the future, he might actually make it big as a director.

I give this movie a solid 8 out of 10. Congratulations to Schwimmer and your team on this great accomplishment. And, as a woman and caring citizen, thank you for telling this story.

As a father to a teenage girl, and one soon to become one, this movie was hard to watch. Took me 3 days to finish it, it was simply to horrifying and disgusting to witness how those sick bastards do their thing.

Now when that is said, I really value this movie. It is important and necessary. It is an eye-opener to all 'tweenie' and teen parents.

This movie should be mandatory in the treatment of pedophiles, to make them realize what they really are doing to their victims.

Finally I'd like to give full credit to the cast for outstanding acting, and to David Schwimmer for his courage to make this film. You did a good job David!

This film was utterly devoid of entertainment value. It was hard to watch, anti- enjoyable even. Its a black, depressing, bleak, grim film. It's like a roller coaster with only low points.

Why I rate this film a 7 is through its production quality, good acting and notably, its ability to powerfully convey it's messages. It shows a plausible story of a naive girl, meeting someone (a peodophile) online, which then leads to a chain reaction utterly destroying her and her family.

It would probably scare the hell out of any teenage girl and increase her weariness of stranger danger.

David Schwimmer behind the lens of a movie with the synopsis of a movie-of-the-week about internetpredators. Wow, this could go either way I thought. And it did.

The Good: This movie is carried by its young leading star. Liana Liberato is Annie and she makes us feel every emotion she has. Sometimes we just don't get her: her actions or what's she's saying. Then, and this is where the screenplay and direction comes in, there are a few lines of dialog or a well chosen shot and we get what's being said. That symmetry is what makes Trust good.

It's never overly dramatic and definitely does not hold back in depicting the loss of innocence and broken trust within the family or the minds of the family members.

This is B-movie with an A-list cast and the movie works because of the above average actors.

The Less: It's still a little cliché. Dr. Phil would approve this film. The Hallmark-channel feeling is never shed off and although it's bold in depicting it's story: it's also very predictable. There's no grey here, only black and white. This goes also for the characters: the innocent teen, the understanding mother, the work oriented father etc.

Overall: The screenplay mixes good dialog and a dramatic look at teens growing up in the information-age with clichés and predictability. Schwimmer passes his exam as a director, as opposed to a actor turned director. It's not bad and watchable alone for the Tour de Force by Liberato, but don't expect a masterpiece. Because that would be too much credit. I give it a 6 out of 10.

My issue is with how the 'crime' is framed - the words 'assault' and 'rape' are tossed about liberally. What is never mentioned is 'seduction', the enticement of naive young women /girls by appealing to their romantic fantasies, which has a long social and literary history. The need to feel 'loved' and 'special'. No violence is ever used. A plot point unnoticed or unmentioned by any of the posters is the father's profession. Advertising. Marketing stuff to 'tweens' using highly sexualized images. Tweens are children between the ages of 9 or 10 and 13. They're fed a constant diet of the ways to be 'desirable' and 'sexy, usually by buying stuff to make them look older and more sexually available . How can parents overcome this barrage of noxious merchandising - especially if that's what provides their good upper middle class life. It also provide the psychological conditions, along with the anonymity of the Internet, for the seduction of very young girls. Charlie is an utter creep, but he's aided and abetted by an economic order that will do anything to find new 'markets'.