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Marketed with the promotional tagline "A slightly twisted comedy", that is not even the half of it as this Hal Hartley film focuses on an unconventional and entirely non-sexual romance that develops between a pregnant teenager and a social misfit twice her age. Both characters curiously defy the initial impressions that they give. As the teen, Adrienne Shelly seems bratty and brainless, wearing heavy makeup and disrespecting her parents, however, she gradually becomes more dowdy after her parents and her boyfriend both reject her upon learning about the pregnancy. As the social misfit, Martin Donovan (no, not the director of 'Apartment Zero'; another Martin Donovan) seems dangerous and prone to violent outbursts, but totally submissive when around his bathroom sanity obsessed father, Donovan also shows us a beating human heart beneath the anger. The film takes a bit too long to bring the two characters together (it is a full 26 minutes before their separate plots converge), but there is a lot to like in how they trust each other for different reasons; her for his sincerity and workplace integrity and him for her genuine warmth. Hartley unnecessarily complicates things with a stolen baby subplot that awkwardly pops up every now and again without offering any real perspective on how Shelley feels about her own baby to-be. In the scenes where Hartley just lets his characters interact with each other though, the film rarely skips a beat. Rebecca Nelson is also very good as the girl's mother who goes from resenting Donovan to trying to manipulate who he likes for her own advantage.
Paddy Jamieson
Trust (1990) - 10/10 As a filmmaker, Hal Hartley will forever divide audiences due to his unique story-telling style, dead-pan humour and tendency to favour words over action. His themes are often subtle and can take more than one viewing to fully understand or appreciate. Something which, understandably, can put off many.But whether you adore his style or think it to be moronic, no-one can deny that he is and always will be an inspired writer and director. A director who has influenced many and will continue to do so, I am sure, for years to come. Now I fall into the category of adoration and I believe 'Trust' to be his finest work.'Trust' focuses on the coming together of two characters. Maria Coughlin, a pregnant high-school dropout who has just been the cause of her fathers fatal heart attack, and Matthew Slaughter, an intellectual loner who still lives with his sadistic father. Sound like a standard, if a bit over the top, romance? You couldn't be more wrong.What makes Hartley's films so special, and 'Trust' is no exception, are the characters he manages to create. Though the situations they get into and the characters around them are nothing short of surreal, the way the react to each situation and deal with very serious issues could not be more realistic.A huge reason for this is his dialogue. Reminiscent of early Richard Linklater or Godard, his flowing, straight to the point script has you hooked from the word go. Fantastically direct delivery from both Shelley and Donovan allow this dialogue to shine and have you believe you these characters are friends you have known for years.In 'Trust' I believe Hartley has created one of the most earnest romances ever to be filmed. Utterly believable and almost heartbreakingly beautiful, this is certainly not a film to be missed.10/10
JLRMovieReviews
A father drops dead after arguing with his daughter, who's pregnant. In another house a grown man is still living at home with his father and can't clean the bathroom to suit him. Together these stories come together with vivid reality, almost too much so. Despite the feeling they seem to be getting nowhere and fast, its mature take on people's troubles and the way the two leads connect make for an intelligent and engrossing film. I don't know if I would really want to see it again, but the more the viewer thinks about it after wards, you realize just how much it makes an impression on you. The viewer is really invested in these people and that's a credit to the writers and makers of this film, which stars Adrienne Shelley and Martin Donovan and a young Edie Falco, before The Sopranos. If you want a real slice of life with an ending that's not really an ending, but just the beginning of another stage, watch this and learn about "Trust."
sheila77
Maria Coughlin is pregnant and her life becomes a mess when her father collapses and die after the great news. Her mother blame her and her boyfriend leaves her. Now the question is: Who can Maria Trust? The answer seems to be Matthew Slaughter, an intelligent twisted young man who also has his own explosives issues to deal with.This movie is definitely one of my favorites. I had watched several years ago and still remains that "must see movie" feeling in my brain.It's not just a romantic comedy, but an unusual drama about guilt and trust in a fantastic point of view. Since this is a movie by Hal Hartley, we only can wait for something unique and almost unlabeled.Great cast and rich dialogue, which dynamic give us a sense of visualizing a book on screen. Mission accomplished! This movie is 10!I really recommend !
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