"Trust The Man" is an agreeable New York-centric romantic comedy about two couples on the brink of self-destructing.
Trust the Man (2006)
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Reviews Counted:100
Fresh:28
Rotten:72
Average Rating:4.6/10
Consensus: What aspires to be a sophisticated, unconventional romantic comedy turns out to be a contrivance-filled pretender to other, better films of its genre.
Theatrical Release:Aug 18, 2006 Limited
Box Office: $1,466,103
Synopsis: A lighthearted meditation on the cares and commitments of adulthood, Bart Freundlich's rom-com drama is a witty, ultra-contemporary vision of urban love. Two Manhattan couples enjoy complicated... A lighthearted meditation on the cares and commitments of adulthood, Bart Freundlich's rom-com drama is a witty, ultra-contemporary vision of urban love. Two Manhattan couples enjoy complicated relationships: Tom and Rebecca (David Duchovny and Julianne Moore) are a glamorous married couple with two kids and a troubled sex life; Rebecca's best friend, Elaine (Maggie Gylenhaal), is in a long-term relationship with Rebecca's brother, Tobey (Billy Crudup), who is also Tom's best friend. Tom has recently quit his advertising job to be a stay-at-home dad, and Rebecca is a successful actress with a depleting libido; thus, despite the couple's obvious closeness, Tom's porn consumption and general distraction have increased considerably. Meanwhile, Elaine juggles a stressful job in publishing and a fledgling career as a children's-book author, while Tobey's job as a copywriter is considerably less demanding. It is soon evident that Tobey has never quite grown up, and when Elaine decides that she wants to get married and have kids, she realizes she'll have to do it with someone else. The turmoil that ensues contains a number of hilarious, emotionally charged encounters between friends and lovers, and an undeniably romantic conclusion. The tale unfolds anecdotally in a style of verbal sparring that recalls Woody Allen; so too does the preponderance of recognizable New York locations, in a view of the city that makes the most of its charms. The movie also boasts well-executed cameos by Ellen Barkin as an imperious publisher, James LeGros as an eccentric songster, Eva Mendes as a temptress from Tobey's past, and Gary Shandling as an earringed therapist. [More]
Starring: David Duchovny, Julianne Moore, Billy Crudup, Maggie Gyllenhaal
Starring: David Duchovny, Julianne Moore, Billy Crudup, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Bob Balaban, Ellen Barkin, James LeGros, Garry Shandling, Eva Mendes, Liam Broggy, Justin Bartha, Sterling K. Brown
Director: Bart Freundlich
Director: Bart Freundlich
Producer: Tim Perell
Composer: Clint Mansell
Studio: Fox Searchlight Pictures
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Reviews for Trust the Man
Really when you cut through all the garbage, Bart Freundlich presents us with an illusion of originality...
This rickety empty-feeling production has a script & stars that deliver lots of edgy little subtle jokes. The dialogue is crisp and crunchy, but the romance is nearly absent.
There's no feeling of weight or consequence in a movie so shapeless it has not one but two musical montage sequences...and a "one month later" card.
I saw this at a festival and hated it, then sat through it again a year later and decided it wasn't so bad, aside from the god-awful ending.
Over the next ninety minutes or so we are treated to a series of scenes that, while often funny, seem to exist because the cast was in the same room together.
It's winter in New York and two couples symbolically battle rain, wind and snow as their relationships skid on thin ice. There are some funny lines, novel situations and for the most part, the film is amusing, even though some of the laughs are contrived
Freundlich’s intelligent, very funny take on male-female relationships manages the not inconsiderable feat of being both jaded and appealingly fresh.
It’s a pity, because few romcoms pull off the basically sympathetic mining of personal vanities and social embarrassment that the film manages in its opening hour.
Trust the Man has its moments but it's ultimately disappointing, despite strong performances from its excellent cast.
A relationship dramedy wields little power without an emotional punch. And when the theatrical (literally) climax attempts bold emotionality, one can’t help but wince.
The finale is a screwball sequence so out of step with what comes before that it feels like part of another (but not necessarily better) movie.
The fault for this flaccid comedy lies not in Freundlich's stars, but in the way he portrays his men and women as biologically-driven boobs.
Almost a good movie by Freundlich, in fact, his best yet. Keep making 'em.
Latest News for Trust the Man
March 29, 2007:
Sequel Rumor Round-Up: Duchovny Talks "X-Files 2," Boyle Suggests "28 Months Later"?
David Duchovny's doing some sequel talk. Nope, this isn't about the long hoped-for second installments in the "Return to Me" and "Trust the Man" sagas;... More...
August 27, 2006:
Box Office Wrapup: "Invincible" Scores #1 Opening
Football season was back in swing at the North American box office this weekend as Disney's real-life pigskin drama "Invincible" scored a number-one opening by more... More...
August 20, 2006:
Box Office Wrapup: Snakes Opens at #1, But Lacks Bite
Samuel L. Jackson's much-talked-about thriller Snakes on a Plane landed in first place at the North American box office this weekend, but lacked the kind of bite that was... More...
August 17, 2006:
Box Office Preview: "Snakes" Prepares For Takeoff
This weekend Samuel L. Jackson looks to seize control of the muthaf*ckin' box office with his new muthaf*ckin' film "Snakes on a Plane" which invades theaters on a... More...
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