TRUST is essentially a story about two lost souls finding one another at the right time and place. Will this make a perfect Valentine’s Day gift?
Well…
Maria is a pregnant teen who just quit school and may have slapped her father to death. Matthew is a young man who just quit a computer manufacturing job and pissed off his father again. These two complicated people form a complicated bond that leads to, well, complications involving abusive parents, a stolen baby and a hand grenade.
Writer/director Hal Hartley creates memorable characters with severely direct dialogue. Seriously, has anyone ever talked like anyone in this film? Adrienne Shelly shines in a sullenly inquisitive way as Maria. Martin Donovan emits edgy rebelliousness as Matthew. Both Maria and Matthew are often abrasive, and possibly unlikable, but I find them sympathetic and relatable. This is probably because I’m drawn to emotionally damaged characters. Plus, there is a piece of dialogue exchange that has become one of my favorite scenes from any film.
MARIA: “Did you mean it, would you marry me?”
MATTHEW: “Yes.”
MARIA: “Why?”
MATTHEW: “Because I want to.”
MARIA: “Not because you love me or anything like that, huh?”
MATTHEW: “I respect and admire you.”
MARIA: “Isn’t that love?”
MATTHEW: “No, that’s respect and admiration. I think that’s better than love.”
MARIA: “How?”
MATTHEW: “When people are in love, they do all sorts of crazy things. They get jealous. They lie. They cheat. They kill themselves. Kill each other.”
MARIA: “It doesn’t have to be that way.”
MATTHEW: “Maybe.”
I first experienced TRUST on IFC back in the 1990’s and even recorded it on VHS. Oh, there was a constant search later for a DVD, but somehow I missed its Region 1 release, which is out of print and pricey. Thankfully, I found a Region 4 copy for $8 on Amazon and it was worth it. (Kneels in gratitude for my region-free player.)
In conclusion…
I respect and admire this film and now it takes me back to the ‘90’s indie film movement, which makes me feel both happy and sad. I’m reminded how great these films are, but then I begin feeling wistfully nostalgic for that time period. Ugh, enough of my sloppy sentimentality! If someone special in your life enjoys character driven drama with sly humor and a romance that doesn’t make you wanna wretch, then TRUST may be the perfect Valentine’s Day gift! 🖤
Thank you for reading or listening to my half-blind words.
Freak Out,
JLH
P.S. Click the pic ⤵️ for more emotionally damaged characters…
Nice review, John! For some reason, I don't recall this movie, but it sounds like a must-see. It also reminds me that Adrienne Shelly was gone far too soon (sad story).
ReplyDeleteThanks, Barry, and yes, she was taken too soon under such tragic circumstances.
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