Trust Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		3.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		1.5
Overall		3.0

Trust Blu-ray Movie Review

Trust this movie to terrify with its depiction of real-life horror.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman July 25, 2011

Why do you keep lying to me?

Trust relentlessly hits hard with its frightening and all-too-real depiction of what is not only a plausible nightmare scenario, but one that sadly plays out everyday, claiming new victims despite the abundance of warning signs and plethora of tales of horrific trauma that surround the world of online seduction. Trust is a timely and perhaps even necessary movie that offers an unflinching look at the dangers of online predators and the fantasy worlds they create, playing on pliable young minds and out-of-contol emotions and hormones for the reward of not only a quick sexual fix but the rush that is the ultimate victory and the pleasure that is taken in the honing of deceitful skills and celebration of the powers of manipulation. In the era of absolute Internet proliferation -- it's not just on the family computer anymore but on cell phones, iPads, and any other number of personal devices -- the dangers are only increased many times over as young people experience unlimited and unchecked online freedoms, often without their parent's consent, and are exposed to a world where anonymity, the make-believe, and the ability to operate more clandestinely and slowly only seems to facilitate the execution of some of the most heinous crimes imaginable. Trust is no easy watch; it's as frightening as any Horror movie out there because of its air of authenticity and the deep-seeded hatred it creates within each audience member for the kind of people who take advantage of the innocent's first forays into the real world of adulthood.

Don't trust him.

Fourteen-year-old Annie (Liana Liberato) is giddy as a school -- of course she is, she is a schoolgirl -- over what is a blossoming online friendship with romantic overtones with another high schooler who lives half a country away. She's been getting volleyball advice from her virtual beau as her life becomes ever more centered around her interactions with the boy who calls himself "Charlie." Just as the relationship is taking off, Charlie makes a confession: he's actually a few years older than he claimed. He's a collegiate volleyball star who's hidden his identity on the grounds that he didn't want to come off as too authoritative in his advice-giving sessions surrounding Annie's efforts to make her own high school team. Charlie later blindsides Annie when he reveals he's in fact a graduate student in his mid-twenties, but the infatuated teen takes it more or less in stride and agrees to meet up with him at a local mall while her parents Will and Lynn (Clive Owen and Catherine Keener) are away taking her older brother off to college. The meeting doesn't go so well, at least not at first. Charlie (Chris Henry Coffey) is actually much older than even his last claim. Annie's concerned but Charlie's reassuring smooth talk convinces her that their relationship can continue on. When word gets around that Annie's been seduced by an older man, she becomes the center of a criminal investigation and her father vows revenge against Annie's perpetrator, but the young teen refuses to see reality and continues to proclaim her infatuation with Charlie, even as her world comes crumbling down around her.

Not only does Trust bluntly and frighteningly demonstrate the very real dangers of sexual predators, it also details how the digital realm can usurp, degrade, and destroy real-world relationships, families, and lives. Whether it's as Annie's relationship with Charlie is on the rise or after their encounter when her emotions ultimately lead her to believe that he loves her and her parents don't, the film centers on how her life and those of the people around her are adversely affected by her relationship. One thing the film doesn't do, however, is counter Annie's experience with the other side of the coin, which is sincere online and, even, real life relationships that turn out well, where those butterflies and feel-goods and first dates go well and change lives for the better. Trust just shows one side of the coin, but it doesn't lose many points for showing only the downside of online interactions. What the film tries to do is not put down the Internet or online relationships but ask its viewers to better filter through the rubbish and exercise care and common sense in online interactions. It sets out to show people that it's OK to say "no" and that it's smart to watch for warning signs. The film doesn't condemn the Internet or trash the victims of online trickery and real-world assault, but it certainly aims to open eyes and reinforce the need to proceed with great caution.

It has a strongly-written script that perfectly balances the terrors and realities of the situation depicted within, but what makes Trust into a truly great movie is the quality of its lead performances. Both Clive Owen and Liana Liberato deliver first-rate, breathlessly authentic efforts that absolutely shape the movie and give razor-sharp definition to its themes. Liberato plays the many ranges required of her character with stunning efficiency. Whether she's happily chatting with her Internet boyfriend, giddily awaiting their first date, confusedly questioning his authenticity, dreadfully succumbing to his wishes, madly falling in love with him all over again, or angrily venting her frustrations over the entire situation, the young actress never misses a beat and pleases, enrages, and draws sympathy from her audience all at once. It's the sort of performance that can launch a career and earn award nominations; it's truly a dynamite, powerhouse performance. On the other side is Clive Owen, whose character is almost equally dynamic and his role just as challenging. He plays a loving but somewhat naive father very well, only to transform into an angered, revenge-driven protector who must direct his vengeance away from his daughter while taking incoming fire from the very person he's trying to protect. His is a character caught in a situation almost as equally difficult as Annie's, and the result is a sometimes moving, sometimes hard, and always unflinchingly reliable performance that's at the same time both raw and completely honest as Owen seems to draw on deeply-rooted emotions that pull him any number of directions throughout the film.

Trust Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Trust's 1080p Blu-ray transfer is fair but wildly uneven. Colors are its finest asset. They're well-balanced and neutral in presentation. However, black levels fluctuate between inky and gray, though they are often fairly forgiving to surrounding details. The image is often quite soft, which significantly lessens fine details and removes any real semblance of depth from the transfer. However, there are times when the image is razor-sharp and fine details in complex facial structures, clothing, and other assorted elements look quite realistic. The image is also forced to contend with slight background blocking and a handful of intrusive white speckles, but it is otherwise free of any major debilitating blemishes. This certainly isn't a tip-top image, but it does pass muster as an adequate high definition transfer, if not something of a letdown for a movie that's still in its infancy.

Trust Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Trust's Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack fares a little bit better than its video counterpart. This is primarily a dialogue-intensive film, and Millennium's soundtrack handles the spoken word with the crispness and realism from the center channel that Blu-ray fans have come to expect. Music delivery is fair, nicely spaced and adequately powered, with generally only the bolder, louder dance music as heard in a couple of scenes seeping into the back channels. Ambience is minor but generally effective, again carried primarily across the front, save for a nicely effective downpour that engulfs the listening area in chapter six. The one major blemish comes during the mall scene, where the general din of the place comes across as mushy and indistinct. Still, this is an effective track; it doesn't have much to work with, but it handles most of the material asked of it with relative ease.

Trust Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Unfortunately, Trust debuts on Blu-ray with only two movie-related extras.

• Between the Lines (480p, 16:45): Cast and crew discuss the picture's important themes, the film's origins, Director David Schwimmer's personal involvement in the story's real-world parallels, the casting process and the incredible work of the actors, character arcs, and the film's authenticity.
• Outtakes (480p, various runtimes): Annie Coming Downstairs, Clive and Agent Tate, Clive and Sex Offender, Lynn Eating Hot Wings, Parking Garage, Peter and Lynn in Kitchen, Peter Playing Video Games, Will and Lynn in Bathroom, and Will and Lynn in Kitchen.
• Previews: Additional Millenium Entertainment releases.

Trust Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Trust is a frightening and oftentimes difficult movie to watch, but despite its many challenges and adult themes, it might just prove to be enough of a shock to the system that could save others from experiencing the horrors of online predators. A great script and amazing performances round the movie into form as one of the best real-world true Horror pictures of the past decade. Millennium Entertainment's Blu-ray release of Trust features fair video, decent audio, and only a couple of extras. Despite its lackluster Blu-ray presentation, this release comes recommended on the strength and importance of the film.