Synopsis

Tom and Rebecca have two kids, a virtually nonexistent sex life, and a marriage counselor who is too baffled by the pair to offer any real help. Tom has a preoccupation with internet porn. Rebecca is a successful actress and busy mother. Tobey has been dating Elaine for eight years but can’t seem to commit to getting married and having a family. Tobey has a fear of dying and sees a shrink once a year. Elaine works for a demanding boss, longs to have a child and has written a children's book. Both men's lives are given a serious jolt when Tom is drawn into an affair with a mother at his son’s school and Elaine finally gives Tobey an ultimatum, sending him into a fling with a sexy, married, former college flame, Faith. Tom, Rebecca, Tobey and Elaine's fate will be decided in a public finale at the Lincoln Center, where both Rebecca and Elaine will have to decide, can they trust their man?

What The Critics Say

"Just when it looked like the romantic comedy was doomed to forever repeat itself in some kind of formulaic purgatory, along comes filmmaker Bart Freudlich with "Trust the Man," a smart, sharply observed, highly affable look at contemporary relationships that finally injects a little life in the stagnating genre." Michael Rechtshaffen HOLLYWOOD REPORTER "Sharp dialog, superb performances and a congenial tone all win us over, even if it feels somewhat simplistic." Rich Cline SHADOWS ON THE WALL "Trust the Man is a wonderfully buoyant and engaging ensemble comedy about the frustrations brought on by love and marriage." Kevin Courrier BOXOFFICE MAGAZINE "for all that it is fluffy and simple entertainment, it's also very good." Anne Gilbert FILMCRITIC.COM "A spicy romantic comedy about two emotionally illiterate men who wake up just in time and see the error of their stupid ways." Frederic and Mary Ann SPIRITUALITY AND PRACTICE "While few of his films have made a box-office splash, Trust The Man sees Freundlich crank up the wry observations to create more broadly comic strokes, and in so doing has created his most accessible and entertaining movie so far." Liz Beardsworth EMPIRE MAGAZINE UK

"Captures, with both accuracy and fleeting optimism, those domestic arguments that end in either irritataed silence or half-hearted, good-enough-for-now reconciliation." Brett Buckalew FILMSTEW.COM ".... an abundance of charm and wisdom and heart, thanks to the appealing cast and smart script..." MaryAnn Johanson FLICK FILOSOPHER "A touching and often very funny film about real relationships, with a sincere belief in love in all its swooning, complicated glory." Matt Pais METROMIX.COM "Working with a beautifully in-sync comic ensemble including Julianne Moore, David Duchovny, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Billy Crudup, Freundlich, who's Moore's husband, delivers what is by far his most accessible -- and most satisfying -- film to date." Michael Rechtshaffen HOLLYWOOD REPORTER "A movie about Manhattan yuppies whining about their love lives could have been a torturous affair, but "Trust The Man" is one of the funniest movies of the year." Willie Waffle WAFFLEMOVIES.COM "Freundlich has some merciless fun at his gender's expense, holding up two best-pal schlubs, Tom (David Duchovny) and Tobey (Billy Crudup), for ridicule." Phil Villarreal ARIZONA DAILY STA

The Inside Story If you want my personal opinion on "Trust The Man" it is this: "Trust The Man" is a surprisingly good film with a message that reaches out to both the sexes whatever their status may be, married, single or divorced. It also happens to be quite funny, very life reflecting and, the New York setting makes such a tantalizing backdrop." Having said that, do I think that "Trust The Man" is a film cinemagoers can take to? The answer to that question is a resounding yes. "Trust The Man" is a big departure from Director/writer Bart Freundlich films "The Myth Of Fingerprints" and "World Traveler", both of which were 'dark'. Producer Tim Perell worked on both of those films, but says he has been encouraging Freundlich to do something that was comedy based. Perell notes that "he’s one of the funniest people I know". The encouragement wasn't lost on Freundlich. "My friends were always riding me because all of my films are usually so dark," he says. "They had really been pushing me to write something funny to kind of get out of this dark stage." The obvious question is, why did it take him so long? "Everybody knows Bart is funny," says production designer Kevin Thompson, who has also been a friend of Freundlich’s for ten years. "I think he hesitated because he knows how hard it is to do a comedy." Freundlich admits writing a comedic script was challenging. "One of the biggest challenges in writing "Trust The Man" was trying to avoid the clichés of the romantic comedy while embracing all the really enjoyable parts of the genre," he said. "My idea was to begin the film as a smaller character study where the humor arose almost solely out of the relationships amongst the characters, and then to slowly loosen the reigns and have the film grow into a bigger, more 'Hollywood' experience. So, by the end of the film the characters would, in a way, enter their own version of a traditional 'Hollywood' romantic comedy." And how did he hope to achive that? "My hope was that by combining what was ostensibly a character piece with a bigger more traditional ending, that an audience might experience both the satisfaction of knowing the characters on a real three dimensional level (as you tend to in an independent film) and the glory of seeing everything fit together perfectly (as it so often does at the end of a big splashy romantic comedy)," he explained. "Occasionally 'real life' presents these huge moments where you have the opportunity to make a big, glorious, sloppy and brave statement about your life. I wanted to give my characters that opportunity." One thing Freundlich hoped for was that his wife, actress Julianne Moore, would take a role in the "Trust The Man". The role he had in mind was that of Rebecca, a neurotic actress, wife and mother who constantly fears she’s one play away from career oblivion. "For Rebecca, he always had Julianne in his head," says producer Tim Perell. "That character needed to be played by somebody with a tremendous amount of strength, independence and resolve, and that is who Julie is. She was a very easy fit for that character." Freundlich saw it as a chance for Moore to display her rarely shown comedic side. "I want to challenge Julie, because I know she can do anything," Freundlich says. "It's like wanting to watch someone who's really talented try something new, because you know they're going to come up with something better than you could have possibly imagined. As a director, and even more as a writer, that's such a gift. You just know that she's going to mine the material for more than you could have hoped for." Casting Moore in the role of Rebecca proved him right and his opinion that she can play a comedic role was well founded. "There's no doubt in my mind that she’s the best actress alive. I also think she’s very funny. People don’t use her in that way a lot," he said. Moore is a fine actress and I have no doubts that she took the role for all the right reasons and not just because her husband was the writer and director. The all important fact for Moore was how good the script was. "I thought the script was great. It's very funny, entertaining, realistic and, finally, moving. It's just an absolutely delightful, charming script," says Moore. In addition, she notes, "The movie is very frank about relationships and the way that we deal with each other, and also the differences between men and women." Rebecca's husband Tom is played by former "X-Files" star David Duchovny. Freundlich revealed that he wrote the part specifically for his good friend. Duchovny says he too was impressed with the script. "Those of us who know Bart know that he's got a terrific sense of humor and is a talented filmmaker," says Duchovny. "We've been waiting for him to make a comedy. I think that his movies, although they've been great, haven't reflected his sense of humor." Like myself he too saw the Woody Allen connection. "The script was smart, funny, and in the earlier Woody Allen tradition of "Annie Hall" and "Manhattan", where there was a lot of verbal intelligence and sexual politics evident in the dialogue, as well as sight gags and slapstick." "I thought the script was very funny," says Billy Crudup who plays Rebecca’s brother and Tom's best friend Tobey. "I knew the part would be great fun. I get to be unabashedly goofy." It turns out Crudup (who appeared in "World Traveler") and Freundlich have known each other since their days at NYU graduate school. "I’ve known Bart for a while and admire his work," says the actor. "I was inspired by his fearlessness and his imagination." Crudup's character Toby is a joy to watch and provides some very precious moments both serious and comedic in "Trust The Man". So how does he describe Toby? "As a 36-year-old-infant who is incapable of moving forward in his life. He’s very egocentric, and only able to see about an inch in front of his face." Producer Tim Perell describes Crudup’s performance was nothing short of a revelation. "I've known Billy for a long time, and I think he's one of the goofiest people I know. But prior to "Trust The Man", we've never seen it on film," he says. "When we suggested him to people who didn’t know him, they couldn’t imagine him doing this role. But he has a lot in common with Tobey, and Tobey’s perspective, and Tobey's sense of humor. He just completely inhabited the character." The lucky dog also gets to play opposite one of my favourite young actresses, the very talented Maggie Gyllenhaal, who recently starred in Oliver Stone's, "World Trade Centre". Gyllenhaal plays Tobey's girlfriend Elaine, an aspiring children’s book writer, who after eight years in a relationship longs to settle down and have a child of her own. "Maggie is younger than the role was initially written," says Perell, "but she had a maturity and fragility that seemed perfect for it. Mid-way through the read-through on the first day, Bart leaned over to me when Maggie was reading and said, 'we hit the jackpot with her.' And he was absolutely right. We got lucky." "Maggie as Elaine has been the biggest surprise to me," says Freundlich. "She's uncompromisingly real. We shared a lot of ideas about her character before starting principal photography." Gyllenhall was also impressed with the script. "It's the best script for a romantic comedy that I've ever read," she enthusiastically noted. "I read a lot of romantic comedies that are about nothing and feel really formulaic. This movie was immediately smarter and more interesting to me." And was it true Freundlich spent time on the phone with her before she agreed to play Elaine? "Bart and I talked quite a bit on the phone before I decided to take the role," says the star of "Secretary". "Everything he said was exactly what I wanted to hear. I've gotten pretty good at figuring out if a director will be good for me to work with, and I thought, Bart really speaks my language." Also appearing in "Trust The Man" is Eve Mendez, who was last seen alongside Will Smith in "Hitch". It turns out that Mendez is a huge fan of Julianne Moore. "To be totally honest, I’m a huge fan. I’m borderline obsessed," gushes Mendes. "I look up to Julianne and her choices." And was it true that she also really, really, wanted to work with Bart Freundlich? "I thought, wow, this is really good. It’s full of little comments and situations that are so funny and honest," she explained. "I wanted to be part of this movie no matter what, even if I was an extra walking through the background." It seems for Mendez, everything about "Trust The Man" was good news, including her character. "I really love Faith," says the actress. "She’s somebody that Tobey had a flirtation with. She runs into him again years later, and she still has it for him even though she's now married." Let's hope that cinemagoers are as enthusiastic about the film as the cast were. The Verdict "Don't, whatever you do, label "Trust The Man" as a 'date' movie. And no, it's not a 'chick flick' either. Sure it will have a lot of genuine and generous appeal to couples, but this is a surprisingly good film with a message that reaches out to both the sexes whatever their status may be, married, single or divorced. The cast are surprisingly good, especially David Duchovny and Billy Crudup. "Trust The Man" is well scripted, even paced and there are some very funny moments in what is writer/director Bart Freundlich's best film to date. "Trust The Man" has the look and feel reminiscent of earlier Woody Allen films and the New York setting is indeed, attractive. Freundlich's "Trust The Man" is very character driven and yes, it has a 'feel-good' ending. Well worth having a look at. A most likeable film. 4 STARS." Cast & Crew Bytes "TRUST THE MAN" stars .......
David Duchovny ["Return To Me", "Zoolander", "Evolution" and "Connie and Carla"]; Julianne Moore ["Far From Heaven", "The Hours", "Laws Of Attraction" and "Children of Men"]; Billy Crudup ["Sleepers", "Charlotte Gray", "Almost Famous", "Big Fish" and "Stage Beauty"]; Maggie Gyllenhaal ["Secretary", "Riding In Cars With Boys", "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind", "Mona Lisa Smile" and "World Trade Center"]; Garry Shandling ["Love Affair", "Mixed Nuts", "What Planet Are You From?" and "Town & Country"]; Bob Balaban ["Gosford Park", "The Majestic", "Capote" and "Lady In The Water"] and Eva Mendes ["Training Day", "Once Upon a Time in Mexico", "Out of Time", "Stuck On You" and "Hitch"] as Faith.
"TRUST THE MAN" was .......
directed by Bart Freundlich ["A Dog Race In Alaska", "Hired Hands", "Le Globe-trotter" and "Catch That Kid"]; screenplay by Bart Freundlich ["A Dog Race In Alaska" and "The Myth Of Fingerprints"]; costume design by Michael Clancy ["Madeline", "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" and "The Guru"]; cinematography by Tim Orr ["Laundry", "Raising Victor Vargas", "Imaginary Heroes" and "Little Manhattan"]; original music by Clint Mansell ["Requiem for a Dream", "Knockaround Guys", "Sahara" and "Doom"] produced by Sidney Kimmel ["Nine 1/2 Weeks", "Town & Country" and "The Emperor's Club"] and Tim Perell ["The Clearing", "The Myth Of Fingerprints", "Globe-trotter" and "Pizza"]. Run Time 100 minutes Rated M [AUST] Copyright ©2006 - Fox Searchlight Pictures - All Rights Reserved Copyright Protected © 2006 - Impact Internet Services - All Rights Reserved