The Trust had a lot going for it if only the filmmakers could’ve kept the (dark) comedy aspect in the crime-caper going through the third act but we get an almost 180 flip and although it goes to the title, it doesn’t make much sense and not entirely earned. As such, this is at best a rental mainly for the first 2/3rds and some, well, interesting line-readings by Nicolas Cage.
The Trust
(2016)
Genre(s): Crime, Suspense/Thriller
Lionsgate | R – 92 min. – $24.99 | August 2, 2016
Date Published: 08/17/2016 | Author: The Movieman
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THE MOVIE — 3.0/5 |
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“You’re mortgaging your house to pay for a heist.” Plot Synopsis: Vegas detective Jim Stone (NICOLAS CAGE) and forensics man David Waters (ELIJAH WOOD) discover a potential cash storage after following a lifetime crook out on a massive $200,000 bond (paid in cash). The cash is being taken from various locations and delivered to a well protected meat locker in an assuming neighborhood market. Seeing how both hate their jobs, Stone draws up a plan to enter the vault via an upstairs apartment where they plan on subduing the tenant and drilling through the floor. What seemed like a foolproof was anything but and there’s some mistrust that develops between the pair.
Quick Hit Review: The trailer I saw for The Trust appeared to advertise it as a crime/caper comedy and oddly looked appealing. And for the first two-thirds, it delivered on what the trailer promised and in spite of an odd line reading from Nicolas Cage, it was pretty funny and some nice comedic chemistry between Cage and Wood. Then came the final act where things took a far too serious tone, almost as if we got one screenplay and then used the ending of another; for me it took what was an amusing crime-comedy into one that was utterly unsatisfying, only saved by a hilarious (albeit unintentionally) scene with Cage being his most Cage-y. Directed by Alex Brewer and Benjamin Brewer (who also co-scripted with Adam Hirsch), certainly had a good idea and for a fair portion made a darkly funny caper where Nic Cage and Elijah Wood shared chemistry, yet with a turn for the dramatics in the third act, The Trust made for an inconsistent film and took this from a purchase to a rental. |
SPECIAL FEATURES – 2.25/5 |
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This release comes with a matted slip cover. Inside is a redemption code for the Digital HD copy. Audio Commentary – Directors Alex and Benjamin Brewer provide an insightful yet still semi-entertaining track breaking down the story and working with Cage and Wood. The Dynamics of a Duo (5:38; HD) looks at the casting of Nicolas Cage and Elijah Wood. Comes with interviews with members of the crew as well as Cage and Wood speaking about their characters. The Visuals of Vegas (5:27; HD) centers on filming on location in Las Vegas. Previews – I Am Wrath, Criminal, Heist, American Heist, Joe |
VIDEO – 4.5/5 |
| The Trust arrives on Blu-ray presented with a 1.85 widescreen aspect ratio and a 1080p high-definition transfer. For the most part this is a nice looking high-definition transfer; colors are generally vibrant and it’s clean looking, free of artifacts, aliasing, dust marks and other flaws though in some scenes, especially darkly lit ones, there’s a fair abundance of natural film noise. |
AUDIO – 4.25/5 |
| The movie includes a standard but effective DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. The bulk of the movie is dialogue driven which is crisp and clean while the front and rear channels are relegated for the generic score or ambient noises as well as the occasional gunfire. It’s nothing special but efficient nonetheless. |
OVERALL – 3.0/5 |
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Overall, The Trust had a lot going for it if only the filmmakers could’ve kept the (dark) comedy aspect in the crime-caper going through the third act but we get an almost 180 flip and although it goes to the title, it doesn’t make much sense and not entirely earned. As such, this is at best a rental mainly for the first 2/3rds and some, well, interesting line-readings by Nicolas Cage. The Blu-ray released by Lionsgate offers good video/audio transfers and a so-so selection of special features. |
Check out some more screen caps by going to page 2. Please note, these do contain spoilers.