Search - Trust the Man on DVD

Suprising realistic for a chick flick

Brian C | Kansas CIty, MO | 09/10/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Wity writing, and characters that are allowed to have some flaws made this one of the first chick flicks that did not make me want to vomit. Heck I actually enjoined it.... for the most part. It does end with the usual formualic, come to jesus ending. But over all still enjoyable.

The creative funny backenforth give plenty of entertainment while the storyline sets it self up.

The characters are not the usual black and white images of perfection or sleazy bastreds which makes them much more relateable. As well as making the story seem less absurd.

While probably unintentional the movie also provides interesting examples of the differences between the way men and women communicate. The men always tiring to fix the things the women complain about instead of just listening, and the women getting upset when the men do not just intuitively know what they want even though they never say.

All in all the first chick flick/ feel good movie that not only did not make me want to vomit, but that I actually enjoined in years."

Light entertainment

Charlene | Midrand, Gauteng, SA | 06/18/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Giving it 5 cause I believe it has been way under rated. I believe the object was to laugh, and it was entertaining.

Besides I feel it did address valid points that many people shy away from, death, living life, etc.

It wasn't earth shattering, I still found it enjoyable!!!"

Glossy Woody Allen Wannabe Relationship Comedy Falls Far Too

Ed Uyeshima | San Francisco, CA USA | 02/24/2007

(2 out of 5 stars)

"Director/screenwriter Bart Freundlich's open valentine to Woody Allen's classic relationship comedies of the 1970's and 80's is a glossy-looking 2006 misfire partially redeemed by the sharp if somewhat misshapen performances of the four principals. Freundlich seems more infatuated with his favorite Lower Manhattan locales than realistically dissecting the rather insufferable characters complicating their lives with the gamesmanship of modern romance. More often than not, the result feels smug and half-baked for all the futile effort the cast puts into it. The focus is on two New York couples. Rebecca is a successful film actress making her first foray into theater, and her husband Tom is a former advertising whiz who decides to become a stay-at-home dad to their two children. Rebecca's brother Tobey is a commitment-phobic sportswriter more interested in keeping his highly valued parking spot than marrying his overly accepting girlfriend of seven years, Elaine, an aspiring children's book author.

Their lives intertwine at trendy eateries with heavy dialogue scenes that are woefully missing Allen's insightful wit despite Freundlich's intensive efforts. The inevitable complications ensue when each couple reaches a crisis stage forcing them to take action. As Rebecca, Julianne Moore, who happens to be Freundlich's wife, cannot help but be appealing, even though her character's intimacy issues are presented in rather broad strokes. A far cry from her haunting work in "Sherrybaby", Maggie Gyllenhaal expresses Elaine's passivity with a convincing winsomeness. David Duchovny's poker-faced performance as Tom comes across as self-satisfied rather than insightful about a husband's sense of self-worth. In the toughest role, a surprisingly comic Billy Crudup shows his versatility in bringing out the irresponsible slacker in Tobey, but his motivation for inaction is poorly sketched out.

Eva Mendes, Garry Shandling and Ellen Barkin appear in extended cameos that really do little to take advantage of their talents. And unfortunately, matters are not helped by a finale that leaves an artificial aftertaste. Special mention, however, should go to Tim Orr's clean cinematography, which makes New York look most inviting. The 2007 DVD is one of those irritating double-sided single discs that have the widescreen version on one side, while the other has the movie reformatted for the TV screen. There are eleven minutes of deleted scenes on one side, and a twelve-minute making-of featurette on the other. There is also a relaxed commentary track from Freundlich and Duchovny but surprisingly not Moore."

Trust the Man is a Waste of Talent.

G. Merritt | Boulder, CO | 09/23/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Trust the Man is a 2006 relationship film that wastes the talents of David Duchovny (The X-Files; Californication), Billy Crudup (Almost Famous), Julianne Moore (Boogie Nights; Magnolia) and Maggie Gyllenhaal (Secretary) on fart jokes. Set in Manhattan, it examines two troubled relationships. Rebecca (Moore) is a film actress married to Tom (Duchovny), a sex addict who gave up his career in advertising to become a stay-at-home dad. They meet with their ear-ringed therapist (played by Garry Shandling) once a year to discuss their unhappy sex life. Tom is into porn. Rebecca has no libido. Their best friends are Rebecca's brother Tobey (Crudup), a copywriter, and his girlfriend, Elaine (Gyllenhaal). Elaine longs for marriage and children, but Tobey has commitment issues and no emotional maturity. Despite a few entertaining scenes, Trust the Man falls short of Woody Allen's lesser work. It offers no new insights into modern relationships. With so much acting talent, I expected so much more from this film.

G. Merritt"