A young girl falls smitten by a charming stranger on the Internet who feeds her low self-esteem. This eventually leads her to meet up with him, he rapes her, and it's never the same again with her and her family.
Trust delves on the psychological impact of the sexual assault to the 14-year-old school outcast, Annie, who met her first boyfriend on the Internet, and the gravity of pain and trauma the parents—particularly the father—had suffered from the tragedy. The film centralizes on Annie's innocent and distorted grasp of the crime and her father's violent rage and maddening desperation to catch the predator.
The film cackles with palpable tension, and the emotions run high in the film, strong and distinct, whether the dramatic scene is subtle, explosive or underlying. Never have I seen an intensely realistic and believable series of conflicts in a film, as well as multilayered characters that even in their silence, in their slightest movements, expose a deep well of emotions and internal struggle. You feel a strong empathy, a clear understanding of how each family member deals with the tragedy— and when their different coping mechanisms clash together, it's an emotional powerhouse.
And who would have ever imagined that the film was directed by Friends' David Schwimmer?
An official selection at the Toronto Film Festival, Trust unexpectedly brings out raw emotions; a gripping and painful drama that will pull you into the psyche and heartbreaking agony of the main cast, will touch you with its universal truths, and will disturb you with the issue of trust.
With brilliant acting from Academy Award winners Clive Owen (the father), Catherine Keener (the mother), and Viola Davis (the therapist) and an Audience Choice for Best Actress at the Chicago Film Festival for 14-year-old Liana Liberato (Annie), and a sincere, compassionate screenplay with excellently developed characters under a masterful direction, Trust is one haunting, disturbing, triumphant film.
4.5 out of 5 stars
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