A couple years ago my best friend told me his theory on relationships.
"The people you love, will never love you, as much as you love them," he told me.
A very true statement has rarely been said. But playing devil's advocate, I called him on the fundamental flaw in the theory: It wouldn't be true from the other person's side of things. And theoretically that is true, but it doesn't take into account the power of perception. What is to say that the other person doesn't feel the same way?
Trust The Man is a comedy about couples who are unhappy with the current state of their relationships.
David Duchovny plays Tom, a former advertising writer who once invented the slogan "got milk?" but has given that all up to be a stay at home father. His wife Rebecca, played by Julianne Moore, is a famous actress who is is rehearsing for a big New York play. Moore hasn't had sex with Tom in what seems like a year. They live life virtually separated but living in the same household.
Her brother Tobey, played by Billy Crudup, is a slacker who is facing a quarter life crisis. His girlfriend of seven years - Elaine, played by Maggie Gyllenhaal, wants marriage and kids, both of which scares Tobey. He believes you need to be 40 to be married, and that death comes sometime shortly after childbirth.
I know this doesn't sound like a comedy but it is. Tom is so desperate for sexual interaction with his wife, that he asks her to describe the on screen action of a porno while he masturbates under the covers. And of course, Rebecca can't satisfy his fraction of desire, forcing him to look elsewhere. The great thing about this story is that for once you see things from the side of a lonely sympathetic Husband who gets the opportunity for sexual contact and takes it. You not only relate to his situation but you understand his choice.
When Elaine tries to bring up the idea of having children, Tobey quickly spins the discussion into an argument of world overpopulation. It's the type of argument that every couple has had. Elaine decides that she can't wait any longer, and moves on.
The whole storyline climaxes at the first night of Rebecca's play. The sequence will leave you both laughing and crying.
Duchovny gives his most vulnerable performance of his career. It's a shame that some people will always look at him as "that guy from that alien tv show." He has so much more to offer. Gyllenhaal is very relatable, and will probably be the anchor for most female viewers. Julianne Moore is the master at playing the cold unfeeling woman, but the real treasure in this film is Billy Crudup's performance as the lovable loser. Not only do you know someone like Tobey, but Crudup quickly makes you forget his isn't that guy. This is Crudup's best performance since playing Stillwater lead Russell Hammond in Cameron Crowe's Almost Famous, which he was nominated for a Blockbuster, MTV and SAG award.
Clint Mansell is probably best known for his critically acclaimed electronica score in Darren Aronofsky's Requiem for a Dream. In Trust the Man, Mansell takes things down a few notches, adds a lot of heart, the result is something refreshing and unlike any of his previous work to date.
I'm not sure that many people will end up seeing Trust the Man, and that's a shame (the crappy title doesn't help the case either). The problem is that it doesn't fit into the cookie cutter plot. It's something different. It's not even a Romantic Comedy, it's a Romantic Dramedy. The characters and the comedic moments that spill from their experiences is what makes this film shine. Trust the Man is a movie that any Twenty-something or Thirty-something couple will thoroughly enjoy. If you don't make it out to the theater, this movie should be added to your Netflix queue for that quite night in.
/Film Rating: 7.5 out of 10