Trust the Man Reviews

• The Most Annoying Film I Have

  
  By A3M2WW0PO34B94 on 2006-08-23
  There are few films I have found as annoying as Bart Freundlich's "Trust the Man". Starring his wife, Julianne Moore, their friend, David Duchovny, Billy Crudup and Maggie Gyllenhaal, the film tells the story of two couples in New York dealing with marital problems. Sprinkle in some "wacky" character traits, some "funny" observations and "richly observed" dialogue and you begin to get the idea of the problem. Freundlich is making a completely artificial film, based on real life events, trying to make them funny, but everything comes across as obnoxious and phony.
  
  Rebecca (Moore), an actress, and Tom (Duchovny), a former advertising wunderkind, are married with two children. As Rebecca begins rehearsals on a new play at Lincoln Center (we learn she turned down a film to star in the play), Tom stays at home to watch the kids (a baby and a three year old) and ruminate about how horny he is. They go to see a counselor (Garry Shandling) and discuss their sexual problems; Rebecca thinks Tom is a maniac because he wants to have sex twice a day. Her brother, Tobey (Crudup) is in a long term relationship with Elaine (Gyllenhaal), Rebecca's best friend, who suddenly hears her biological clock ticking and realizes she wants to be married and have a child. This is not good news for commitment phobic Tobey who writes magazine articles and would rather camp out in his car grilling cheese sandwiches.
  
  Each member of each couple will be tempted by another person, some will have an affair. Can all four fix their relationships? Do you care?
  
  "Trust the Man", written and directed by Freundlich, appears to be at least partially autobiographical. Because Moore headlines the film and it co-stars their friend Duchovny, it gives the film a creepy vibe it wasn't necessarily going for. Instead of portraying an interesting, funny part of their lives, it merely makes them seem like they are possibly working out their marriage therapy on film. And we get to pay to watch the effort.
  
  The problem with "Man" isn't the subject matter, many a great film has been made about relationships, it is with the tone and mood of the story. Rather than try to find any real drama or humor in these relationships, everyone is just slightly off center and has some wacky traits, meant to heighten the laughs. Instead, it just seems phony. When the film opens, Tom and Rebecca are having breakfast with their kids. Their older son is in the bathroom, on the toilet, talking about how he has to poop, but can't. His dad says "well, sometimes passing gas can help". But the little boy is not convinced and says his stomach hurts. This whole scene is meant to be funny, but it merely comes across as extremely annoying. The little boy is way too precocious and the conversation is just stomach churning.
  
  Throughout, every time one of the characters even approaches a behavior that might be considered `real', they then do something `funny' or make a `witty' comment, completely ruining the character and making them seem like a reject from a bad television sitcom. Why does Crudup's character sit in his car, writing on a laptop, grilling cheese sandwiches? Why does Duchovny's character seem obsessed with sex? When he wants to have sex, he brings out a tape. Moore responds "if that is one of your tapes, you can just forget it". For that matter, why is she so frigid?
  
  Just as the film seems as though it might actually have something to say about these characters, it resorts to broad comedy. For instance, when they visit the counselor (Shandling), he gives them advice which is meant to elicit laughter, but because it has no basis in reality, it doesn't work.
  
  Do people in New York really behave like this? The film depicts such a small part of the demographic that I have difficulty understanding why the studio decided to make this film. How are people in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Montreal, Chicago supposed to relate? I really have my doubts that this film would be popular even in New York, but if this is the case, the film would be best presented as an off-Broadway play. That way, the people who might like this film can enjoy it without subjecting it on the public at large.
  
  Late in the film, after both couples have broken up, they will, inevitably get back together again. This whole sequence, at the Lincoln Center, seems more reminiscent of a Marx Brothers film, rather than a sensitive film about the relationships. The characters run around the theater, screaming at each other, doing double takes, mugging. It is a truly awful way to end the film and completely ruins any feeling of reality these characters may have been able to create.
  
  Long story short, don't "Trust" the man. This is a dreadful, unfunny, smug film that deserves to die a quick death.
  
  
  

• Makes you lose faith in relationships and marriage.

  
  By A2MSJ3UACHXKB1 on 2006-09-06
  I went to see this movie because I like every actor involved.
  And as much as they were likable in most ways, I had to question why they would want to do a movie like this.
  
  The movie was not about, love or relationships.
  It was about how men in America today get roped into relationships with woman, give into marriage and have kids, because the women trap them into it, not because they really want to.
  
  Here is a line from the movie that sums it up.
  
  "My friends at work, tell me men are never ready for marriage or kids, that you have to trap them into it."
  
  Seeing this film, and being a guy really hit a nerve, because I am at the age when the woman around me are basically forcing their men into marriage and kids.
  
  In the case of the movie, Crudup's girlfriend dumps him because he does not want kids or marriage. Instead of talking about it, she goes off, and picks up the first guy who wants kids, depsite her not liking him.
  
  Crudup spends over a year depressed about the breakup and will do anything to get her back, including getting married to her and getting her pregnant.
  
  This is an extremely shallow piece, I hate the charactors so much for their weakness, that I walked out of the theatre sick at the end.
  
  In the movies defense, seems like most relationships are this way, and that is extremely depressing.
  
  Maybe my distaste for this movie was because it is true to life.
  I just wished that would have made the same movie, where they attempted to address the problems in American relationships, and confront them instead of, promoting affairs, and weak willed relationships.
  
  

• Suprising realistic for a chick flick

  
  By A2B26I3DGUSMB0 on 2006-09-10
  Wity writing, and characters that are allowed to have some flaws made this one of the first chick flicks that did not make me want to vomit. Heck I actually enjoined it.... for the most part. It does end with the usual formualic, come to jesus ending. But over all still enjoyable.
  
  The creative funny backenforth give plenty of entertainment while the storyline sets it self up.
  
  The characters are not the usual black and white images of perfection or sleazy bastreds which makes them much more relateable. As well as making the story seem less absurd.
  
  While probably unintentional the movie also provides interesting examples of the differences between the way men and women communicate. The men always tiring to fix the things the women complain about instead of just listening, and the women getting upset when the men do not just intuitively know what they want even though they never say.
  
  All in all the first chick flick/ feel good movie that not only did not make me want to vomit, but that I actually enjoined in years.
  
  

• Lighten up folks, it's not that bad!

  
  By A3AWLFMKGRMI5M on 2007-02-09
  With all this talent in the mix, it would have been nice if this film had risen above mediocrity, but I still found it reasonably entertaining. There are a few laugh-out-loud scenes (my fave was Julianne Moore's passive-aggressive compliance with her husband's request that she narrate a porn video) and some clever theater references, and the rest is a string of bland and/or saccharine relationship cliches, but the cast is very attractive and I enjoyed the indie sound track.
  
  

• Do not waste your time or money

  
  By AIPSUF99BQ17T on 2007-07-08
  Attractive people, great NYC scenes and apartments, but none of that could save this horrible poorly written mess of lousy, immature male characters, bland and clueless female characters, and extremely childish bathroom jokes. I could not even watch 2/3 rds of it. Really bad.
  
  
• Formulaic Survey of Loopy Relationships
  By A328S9RN3U5M68 on 2007-02-08
  TRUST THE MAN is a director and a scriptwriter (Bart Freundlich) looking for a reason to justify this shallow, ill conceived, and ultimately boring movie. Supposedly we are to examine role reversal in modern marriages and the rise of the feminist to the head of the household. This is about stay at home dads, successful working moms, varying physical and psychological needs, failure to commit guys, and approaching the end of fertility zone women - and each of the four characters in the film try to make us care about their plights but just can't get past the clumsy script.
  
  The cast is as fine as could be assembled to try to make this story matter: Julianne Moore with David Duchovny, Maggie Gyllenhaal with Billy Crudup, and such 'extras' as Garry Shandling, Sarah Knowlton, Dagmara Dominczyk and Justin Bartha. The four leads are always a pleasure to watch, even in a poor film, but put naive lines in their mouths and we just cringe. The ending is chicken soup without the healing factor. In the end this is a film to watch only for the leads: maybe turn off the sound...? Grady Harp, February 07
  
  
  
  
• Glossy Woody Allen Wannabe Relationship Comedy Falls Far Too Short
  By A13E0ARAXI6KJW on 2007-02-24
  Director/screenwriter Bart Freundlich's open valentine to Woody Allen's classic relationship comedies of the 1970's and 80's is a glossy-looking 2006 misfire partially redeemed by the sharp if somewhat misshapen performances of the four principals. Freundlich seems more infatuated with his favorite Lower Manhattan locales than realistically dissecting the rather insufferable characters complicating their lives with the gamesmanship of modern romance. More often than not, the result feels smug and half-baked for all the futile effort the cast puts into it. The focus is on two New York couples. Rebecca is a successful film actress making her first foray into theater, and her husband Tom is a former advertising whiz who decides to become a stay-at-home dad to their two children. Rebecca's brother Tobey is a commitment-phobic sportswriter more interested in keeping his highly valued parking spot than marrying his overly accepting girlfriend of seven years, Elaine, an aspiring children's book author.
  
  Their lives intertwine at trendy eateries with heavy dialogue scenes that are woefully missing Allen's insightful wit despite Freundlich's intensive efforts. The inevitable complications ensue when each couple reaches a crisis stage forcing them to take action. As Rebecca, Julianne Moore, who happens to be Freundlich's wife, cannot help but be appealing, even though her character's intimacy issues are presented in rather broad strokes. A far cry from her haunting work in "Sherrybaby", Maggie Gyllenhaal expresses Elaine's passivity with a convincing winsomeness. David Duchovny's poker-faced performance as Tom comes across as self-satisfied rather than insightful about a husband's sense of self-worth. In the toughest role, a surprisingly comic Billy Crudup shows his versatility in bringing out the irresponsible slacker in Tobey, but his motivation for inaction is poorly sketched out.
  
  Eva Mendes, Garry Shandling and Ellen Barkin appear in extended cameos that really do little to take advantage of their talents. And unfortunately, matters are not helped by a finale that leaves an artificial aftertaste. Special mention, however, should go to Tim Orr's clean cinematography, which makes New York look most inviting. The 2007 DVD is one of those irritating double-sided single discs that have the widescreen version on one side, while the other has the movie reformatted for the TV screen. There are eleven minutes of deleted scenes on one side, and a twelve-minute making-of featurette on the other. There is also a relaxed commentary track from Freundlich and Duchovny but surprisingly not Moore.
  
  
• Light entertainment
  By AK5OOXTUXAV9O on 2007-06-18
  Giving it 5 cause I believe it has been way under rated. I believe the object was to laugh, and it was entertaining.
  
  Besides I feel it did address valid points that many people shy away from, death, living life, etc.
  
  It wasn't earth shattering, I still found it enjoyable!!!
  
  
• Sophomoric At Best
  By A2FJ3KH822PP4V on 2007-03-17
  This movie strains too hard to be about "adulthood" and relationships. It has no depth because it is apparently too close to home for those involved (moore and her husband), and apparently they don't have the life experience to make anything that rises above all the silly cliches in this movie. Read the review by "the most annoying movie I have", he/she hits on the head. It is sad because of the talent involved, including moore. Even Billy Crudup fails to shine.
  
  
• A great Laugh!
  By AYC3Y4QX7GATV on 2007-04-05
  I think this film is just misunderstood. We aren't supposed to take it seriously. From the beginning sequence with the little boy on the toilet, and the Duchovny character talking about "...just gas...," you know its going to be terrible. And it continues, all the way through to the horrible embarrassment of an ending, to completely fulfill that expectation.
  
  So terrible, it is actually entertaining. Its fun to think about whatever production company funded this movie and trusted the director and screenwriter, and then found they had a complete failure!
  
  Don't blame the actors, however. Each one fulfilled their expectations. Julianne Moore was superficial and shallow. Perfect for her character, who asks her husband to stay home with the kids, ignores his sexual needs, then wonders why he isn't happy. David Duchovny, who always looks like he hasn't slept in days, is perfect in the role of trying to take care of two kids as a stay at home Dad. Billy Crudup was born to play a man who behaves like a nine-year old. Maggie Gyllenhaal, as usual, is brilliant, as a woman of depth and personality, who is trying to decide what do to about her relationship with Crudup's character. Unfortunately, Gyllenhaal wrecks the entire "I can't believe this is so bad" premise of the movie, because she is so good that you have to admire her amazing acting ability.
  
  And to top it off, what about that title? If there is one message in this movie, any message at all, its that you CAN'T "Trust the Man!" Horrible! Wonderful! (See my point?)
  
  See past the terrible judgement, bad writing, and weak directing. Its fun!
  
  
• If you can't relate to this movie and or find humor in it...
  By A8G8D99LNFU0Y on 2008-01-14
  then your either a robot from the planet lame, or your too uptight to have a pulse in your veins.
  
  Now I'm not a fan of romantic comedies, and I'm not sure I can even classify this movie with that term, but this was for lack of other words... Awesome! I found myself laughing hysterically throughout and relating to many of the characters and the situations or predicaments they found themselves in. In essence, I can pretty much connect most of my friends to characters in this movie, and can easily say that I've been in a few of these situations (not relating to deli meats). Maybe it's these personal connections I felt throughout that made this film so spot on in terms of how it dealt with the trials and tribulations of relationships and friendships, or maybe it was the wit and irreverent sarcasm... Either way it just works.
  
  I was and still am pretty awestruck by the fact that so many people actually complained about this movie and/or just didn't get it. Which is probably the main reason I'm writing a review. Are you people serious? The only people I can't see enjoying this movie are; people with no sense of humor, people expecting lovey dovey crap that feel misled, or people that are easily offended (at what I'm not sure). The movie isn't meant to be taken too seriously. In a way the movie is like the Billy Crudup character in itself (guy with the bad goatee). It steers away from the difficulties of reality when things get too real. It finds the humor in a bad or uncomfortable situation, and in the end makes you laugh and appreciate all the ups and downs life has to offer. So, enough of the over-analytical deep diving, but it seems to be in fashion here.
  
  If your a fan of the "How I Met Your Mother" style of relationship humor, you've got your awesomely awesome movie equivalent (including those serious episodes where Lilly leaves Marshall, but in the end they get married, and Barney is there to provide the legen... wait for it... keep waiting for it... and I hope you not lactose intolerant DAIRY, LEGEN-DAIRY color commentary).
  
  So there you have it. Quit your "can't say that word here," grab a deli sandwich, and enjoy the movie for what it is. Your bound to laugh, and see yourself or one your friends in there.
  
  
• Better than I expected...
  By A3SSI0QSENUSM8 on 2008-01-22
  ...based on the reviews here. Much of the credit for my surprise should go to the cast: all very good. I find it interesting to watch excellent actors (Moore, Duchovny, Barkin) flesh out new characters. Overall, despite flaws, this film is intelligent, and fresh just often enough to be worth watching. I cared about the fate of the two couples, particularly the Gyllenhall/Crudup duo. Sure, there were cliches, as in another parody of 12-Step and other support groups, and the "biological clock ticking" bit. However, as in the case of the latter, there's truth at the heart of many of these. If Trust the Man ended a bit more "Hollywood"/all loose ends resolved, I'd have thrown my shoe at the screen. Anyway, here's one little negative postcript: Amazon makes it look like the magnetic Ellen Barkin has a major role - unfortunately, not the case.
  
  
• Trust the Man is a Waste of Talent.
  By A3D9VXSUDX8J36 on 2008-09-23
  Trust the Man is a 2006 relationship film that wastes the talents of David Duchovny (The X-Files; Californication), Billy Crudup (Almost Famous), Julianne Moore (Boogie Nights; Magnolia) and Maggie Gyllenhaal (Secretary) on fart jokes. Set in Manhattan, it examines two troubled relationships. Rebecca (Moore) is a film actress married to Tom (Duchovny), a sex addict who gave up his career in advertising to become a stay-at-home dad. They meet with their ear-ringed therapist (played by Garry Shandling) once a year to discuss their unhappy sex life. Tom is into porn. Rebecca has no libido. Their best friends are Rebecca's brother Tobey (Crudup), a copywriter, and his girlfriend, Elaine (Gyllenhaal). Elaine longs for marriage and children, but Tobey has commitment issues and no emotional maturity. Despite a few entertaining scenes, Trust the Man falls short of Woody Allen's lesser work. It offers no new insights into modern relationships. With so much acting talent, I expected so much more from this film.
  
  G. Merritt
  
  
• not funny
  By A2QJ2BN8X0ZBH3 on 2007-10-22
  This movie is one of the worst I have seen. I found the beginning scene amusing, but it seemed to go completely downhill from there. The story is very slow, the characters are not interesting enough for you to care, and it definitely not funny. Luckily, I bought my copy for $2 when a movie rental store went out of business near me. I would have been mad if I had paid more for this movie.
  
  
• Trust the fact that this movie seems like a big act.
  By AFFVUZEGP1FDQ on 2007-11-07
  Two couples going through rough times in their relationships. The movie was not bad, but it was not good either. There is a fakeness through the entire film due to the amped up dialogue, the actions of the characters and how the relationships play out. The story just doesn't hold up your interest. I did not find myself rooting for either couple. Instead, I hoped they found someone better. Moore plays a convincing character, a bit more likable than the rest. So does Gyllehall. Yet, borth Duchovny and Cudrup play immature wanna be adolescent boys that throw their relationships away just because they do not know how to deal with their situations. All the parties involved were responsible for their failing relationships, yet, once they own up to it you realize that you don't care and that maybe they are better without the other.
  This movie was good up until the end, which turned out to be pretty cliché and pathetic. The film was well-acted. I enjoyed the dynamics between David Duchovny and Julianne Moore, they are somewhat successful in portraying the married couple going through a rough time. But, the faults in this movie do not reside in the acting but in the cue in reactions that each actor has. They do not seem real, just overamped wanna-witty banter.
  
  

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