ReelBob: ‘Trust’ ★★½

A romantic drama about how doubt and suspicion can undermine the foundation of what appears to be a solid marriage.

By Bob Bloom

“Trust” is an ironic title for a drama about a devoted young husband and wife who allow suspicion and circumstance to undermine the foundation of what they believe is a solid relationship.

Brooke (Victoria Justice) is New York gallery owner who is opening a new exhibit for a very handsome and smooth artist named Ansgar Doyle (Lucien Laviscount), who has an affinity for married women.

Ansgar’s attentions to Brooke raise the ire of her husband, Owen (Matthew Daddario), a local television journalist.

Owen dreams of spending Christmas in Paris with Brooke, but because of her gallery opening she can’t go.

A series of circumstances begin to plant doubts in both their minds.

First, on the spur of the moment, Brooke flies to Paris with Ansgar to help sell one of his paintings to a wealthy patron — a filmmaker shooting his movie in Paris.

At the same time, Owen is spending nights away from home.

The crux of “Trust” is that innocent events are being misinterpreted and that imaginations are running wild causing the seeds of mistrust to creep into Brooke and Owen’s relationship.

Owen, alone while Brooke is in Paris, meets a beautiful young woman, Amy (Katherine McNamara), at a bar. Drunk and despondent, Owen makes a mistake that he very quickly comes to regret.

The movie is being touted as an erotic thriller, but while there is some slight eroticism, the movie is more romantic drama than thriller.

The movie uses some flashbacks to replay sequences and reveal the true context of sequences, giving us a better understanding about Brooke and Owen’s mental states.

Director Brian DeCubellis, working from a screenplay by Kristen Lazarian, himself and K.S. Bruce — based on a play, “Push,” by Lazarian — manages to create a flicker of doubt about the young couple’s future.

It’s “Trust’s” twists that are intriguing and hold your attention.

At times, the plotline feels outlandish, almost like a made-for-TV rom-com; except here everything is taken very seriously.

Justice and Daddario are sincere, almost innocents. It’s the people around them, especially Ansgar and Amy, who are like snakes from Eden tempting them to stray.

“Trust” would have been better served if DeCubellis left the finale more open ended or ambiguous. Instead, a short flash forward spoils the tension that the director has been building up for almost 90 minutes.

“Trust” is a solid indie film about the challenges of marriage and the minor missteps that can cause people to trip over their own insecurities.

I am a founding member of the Indiana Film Journalists Association. I review movies, 4K UHD, Blu-rays and DVDs for ReelBob (ReelBob.com), The Film Yap and other print and online publications. I can be reached by email at bobbloomjc@gmail.com. You also can follow me on Twitter @ReelBobBloom and on Facebook at ReelBob.com or the Indiana Film Journalists Association. My movie reviews also can be found at Rotten Tomatoes: www.rottentomatoes.com.

TRUST
2½ stars out of 4
Not rated, language, violence, sexual content