Depressing but rightly so, the David Schwimmer-directed drama “Trust” follows the victimization of a young teen and the aftermath of her ordeal. Tackling relevant issues mostly effectively, the film’s powerful performances compensate for some narrative lapses.
It’s immediately distressing: a young teen, Annie (Liana Liberato) forms an online friendship with a stranger, “Charlie,” whose charming persona easily reels in the unwary youngster. Meeting up with her admirer at a mall, Annie discovers that it’s a much older man, but the silver-tongued cyber-predator convinces her to keep him company anyway. Annie’s father, Will (Clive Owen), is later informed of the horrific situation, shocked and enraged that his daughter was assaulted.
Unnerving and discomfiting, “Trust” establishes its characters firmly through believable portrayals. One can’t help but feel sickened as well, thanks to Liberato’s strong and versatile interpretation of Annie. We see her gradual and heartbreaking transformation from sweet, promising girl to teenage cautionary tale, and the young actress manages to assert a variety of emotions quite convincingly.
Owen, meanwhile, is characteristically astounding; you can feel him simmering in disbelief, weakened by guilt, and become understandably obsessed with exacting vengeance. His character’s work scenario feels forced (he handles an underwear campaign with ads of sensualized, scantily clad young women, to add more obvious conflict to his situation), but Owen just incredibly exemplifies a helpless father living his worst nightmare.
“Trust” is an Ayala Cinemas exclusive opening on Sept. 7.
No comments:
Post a Comment