By: debbie lynn elias
You gotta admit that at first blush, TRUST THE MAN doesn’t exactly call out to the female moviegoers of the world. A large contingency, myself and many of my friends included, did and are probably doing an “Oh sure, right. Ya gotta be kidding. Like we’re gonna see this?” But let me say this – go past your first reaction and in this case, you should trust the man – the man being writer/director Bart Freundlich.
Meet Rebecca and Tom. Happily married (okay allegedly happily) for years, Rebecca, successful actress and family breadwinner, is consumed with her career and the Manhattan lifestyle. On the other hand, sex-obsessed husband Tom gave up his successful career as an ad exec in order to tend to hearth, home, their two young children, and hopefully, spend more time with Rebecca. Meet Rebecca’s brother Tobey. A sportswriter with a perverse fascination for the macabre, Tobey has been dating his children’s book author girlfriend Elaine for over eight years. And needless to say, Elaine has more than just books on her mind when it comes to children. Luckily for our foursome, they also all get along as Tom and Tobey are best friends, as are Elaine and Rebecca. On the surface, each couple has an ideal relationship, but underneath bubbles and boils more trouble than any of them can fathom.
Plagued with desires that aren’t on level playing fields let alone in the same ballpark, it seems clear that these two relationships are destined for disaster. You know how clinical studies have demonstrated that men think about sex at least 283 times during the course of a day? (True study by the way). Well, triple that amount for Tom and his insatiable cravings for a very disinterested and disenchanted Rebecca. His obsession is such that it drives her even further away from him to the point of “Ew, gross, disgusting, don’t touch me.” It also drives him. . .well, I’ll leave that for you to see for yourselves. And Tobey….well, immature, non-committal Tobey takes nit-picking, avoidance and annoyance to new depths as he deflects Elaine’s discussions about marriage and children with outbursts over who is more adept with the television remote control. (Let’s face it guys. Admit it. Many a fight has started in your own home over this little device. We know this is the one thing the male species is very adept at, however, don’t count us females out. When it comes to pushing those buttons…well, just because we’re hitting HSN and QVC and not ESPN doesn’t give you sole bragging rights!) And just to make the situations a little more volatile, toss in the familial relationship between the couples…..not to mention the everyday anxiety and angst over parking in Manhattan.
With the handwriting on the wall and thanks to male patterned screw-it-upiveness, our foursome seek some much needed couples counseling. Unfortunately, even those professional efforts do little to prevent the inevitable…inevitable acts of silliness, stupidity, maturity and groveling for forgiveness. But, by whom?
What could be just a typical run of the mill romantic comedy is turned into something special thanks to the performances of the four leads. Joyously, Julianne Moore and David Duchovny, who were so well paired some years ago in one of my comedic favorites, “Evolution” team up again as Rebecca and Tom. Their chemistry and comedy is undeniable. They each have an easy rapport that melds beautifully. And Moore! I said it when I saw her in “Evolution” and I’ll say it again – this woman has the inherent comedic timing and skills of Lucille Ball. She goes for the laugh but then adds a sophisticated fun flair. Likewise, Duchovny adds a goofiness to Tom that is so charmingly silly you can’t help but like him – no matter what he says or does. Maggie Gyllenhaal steps in as Elaine and provides one of the strongest presences of any character she has portrayed to date. With a lot of shared screen time, Billy Cudrup holds his own as Tobey to Duchovny’s Tom. Although lacking some of Duchovny’s polish and ease, Cudrup fills the bill nicely bringing a lackadaisical edge to his character. A nice surprise is Ellen Barkin as Elaine’s book editor as well as Garry Shandling and Bob Balaban as a couple of well intentioned therapists. Perhaps the most outstanding feature of the casting and performances is that they give a pervading sense of fun to the entire film – that they truly were having fun and enjoying each other’s company. Nothing seemed stained or forced, but relaxed and natural like real-life long term relationships/friendships.
Writer/director Bart Freundlich (who just happens to be married to Julianne Moore) does a more than admirable job of taking the mundane and often insignificant little things in life and turning them into an insightful and enjoyable story. Although formulaic in nature, Freundlich steps out of the box with some smart observations of life today. This is not your 1950’s or even 1990’s romantic comedy. Nothing ever becomes too heavy-handed. Unfortunately, however, the film falls victim to conventionality and a less than credible conclusion as the it nears its end and thus, loses some of its charm.
Cinematographer Tim Orr (whose work I first noted in “Little Manhattan” and which is excellent), clearly has an affinity for the Big Apple locale and does an exemplary job of filming, due also in large part to the production design of Kevin Thompson, which bodes well in establishing Manhattan’s life and times and that of our principals. But kudos, kudos, kudos to casting director Douglas Aibel. Without this cast, this film wouldn’t be the charmer it is.
Trust me on this one. This is one time you can TRUST THE MAN.
Tom: David Duchovny Rebecca: Julianne Moore Elaine: Maggie Gyllenhaal Tobey: Billy Cudrup
Written and Directed by Bart Freundlich. A Fox Searchlight release. Rated R. (103 min)
