So usually I'm pretty cynical about these unknown movies and I have some fun at their expense, but I must dispose of all tomfoolery on this one.
 
Trust is the second directed feature from David Scwimmer(yes THAT David Scwhimmer). His first was the comedy Run Fat Boy Run, so saying Trust is a departure for him is a HUGE understatement. 
 
Trust follows 14 year old suburbanite Annie, who is your typical, run of the mill, all is well teeneger. She has a happy family, plays sports and chats with friends online. One such friend is Charlie, who she met online and chats with constantly. She believes him to be her age, but as their talks get more serious, he slowsly starts adding years to his actual age. Eventually we get to the day they meet and it turns out he is a full on 40+ creeper. She is first hurt by this, but is quickly talked down and is persuaded into believing that age doesn't affect their love. From here you can see where things go and eventually he takes her to a motel and pressures her into doing the unthinkable. From here we follow her and her family and see how such a travesty effects them.
 
This is an extremely timely and touchey subject that I right away have to give BIG credit to Scwimmer for having the cojones for doing this. If this was bad, he would be out of work quicker than he could say "PIVOT!" 
 
Trust has to be one of the most effective movies on my emotions I have seen in years. The rollercoaster it takes you through left me exhasuted by the time the credits rolled.
 
The reason behind this is mostly due to the performances. With Scwimmer having an acting background, he really made this an "actor's" movie. Best performances came from Clive Owen as the father and Liana Liberato as Annie. These characters go through a dramatic arc from blissfull and contempt to distraught and rightfully cynical. Clive is so deeply affected by the event, he turns into a father hellbent on retribution, forgeting the very person effected by the event. Even more impressive is Liana, virtually unknown before this, is definitely gonna go places if she keeps performing like this. She goes through such a varied range of emtions, becoming such a torn soul, it is truly heartbreaking to watch her on screen. I was in tears TWICE in this film, all due to her acting. This movie is worth watching on her performance alone.
 
And of coarse what great performances don't come from great scripts. From the get go, I was extermely invested in every character, and nothing ever felt out of character or contrived.
 
Even beyond avoiding contrivance, this movie feels ultra-realistic. There was hardly a scene where I felt the movie went "Hollywood." This made Trust all the more jarring to watch, feeling that these events are entirely possible. 
 
I know for some, this will be too much for them, and will alienate viewers due to its raw nature(especially the sex scene, which isn't graphic, but tells more than enough). My skin was crawling through that entire sequence. 
 
Alienation is also ineviatable in the form of the film's message. Some will certainly find it preachy, but I feel this is a very important message that has to be known. This isn't political or even debatable, so I strongly support what Scwimmer has done here. 
 
Finally, the movie is extremely depressing. 90% of the film is a downward spiral, as things get worse and worse for the family until you feel there's no hope left for them. Thankfully Schwimmer knew better and leaves us a beacon of hope in the final scene. 
 
In the end, I was so deeply touched by this movie, I can't help but give nothing but praise for it. It is definitely not going to appeal to everyone, but I feel it is essential viewing for many out there. For those of you willing, I strongly urge you to watch this. 
 
Concerning the Blu-ray, the picture is crisp and the colors are well balanced. But special featuers are few and don't really add much, except some explanation behind Schwimmer's reason for tackling this subject. But since there is nothing memorable about the cinematography or score, I suggest picking it up on DVD.