Trust the Man | |
---|---|
Directed by | Bart Freundlich |
Written by | Bart Freundlich |
Produced by | Sidney Kimmel Tim Perell |
Starring | David Duchovny Billy Crudup Julianne Moore Maggie Gyllenhaal Eva Mendes James LeGros |
Cinematography | Tim Orr |
Edited by | John Gilroy |
Music by | Clint Mansell |
Production company | Sidney Kimmel Entertainment |
Distributed by | Fox Searchlight Pictures (Select territories) Capitol Films (International) |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 103 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Box office | $7.4 million |
Trust the Man is a 2005 American romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Bart Freundlich. The film is set in New York and centers around two couples as they deal with relationship issues such as intimacy and commitment.
The film centers around four best friends: Married couple Tom and Rebecca and longtime relationship partners Tobey and Elaine. The film follows the two couples as they face trials and temptations in their relationships.
Tom, after feeling a lack of intimacy with his wife, meets a divorced mother at his sons school. Rebecca, a film actress making her stage debut, meets a younger actor named Jasper, who shows infatuation for her. Tobey, who does not show interest in settling down for marriage or kids, runs into an old fling from college named Faith. Elaine, after confronting Tobey about wanting to get married and have a family, meets several suitors throughout the film.
The story follows Tom and Tobey as they attempt to mend their relationships with their partners.
Trust the Man premiered at the 2005 Toronto International Film Festival [2] and was picked up by Fox Searchlight Pictures for distribution in North America, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, Chile, Benelux, China, Columbia, France, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Mexico, South Korea, Switzerland and Taiwan. [3]
The film opened in the United States on August 18, 2006. [4] [5]
As of December 2023 [update] , Trust the Man holds a 29% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 102 reviews with an average rating of 4.7/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "What aspires to be a sophisticated, unconventional romantic comedy turns out to be a contrivance-filled pretender to other, better films of its genre." [6] Another review aggregator, Metacritic, gives the film a 43/100 approval rating based on 30 critics' reviews. [7]
Michael Rechtshaffen of The Hollywood Reporter praised the film, saying "Both geographically and thematically speaking, writer-director Freundlich finds himself on vintage Woody Allen turf here -- as in the "Manhattan"/"Husbands and Wives" Woody Allen -- while still managing to lend the production a unique voice of its own. And Allen would've killed for Freundlich's terrific cast." [8] Liz Beardsworth of Empire gave the film 3 out of 5 stars and wrote "Freundlich’s retread gleans new colour thanks to his sparkling dialogue, the urbane New York setting and great work from his superior cast, all of whom flesh out their roles so that empathy with their respective plights comes easily." [9]
Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result |
---|---|---|---|
ALMA Awards [10] | Outstanding Actress - Motion Picture | Eva Mendes | Nominated |
Manhattan is a 1979 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by Woody Allen and produced by Charles H. Joffe from a screenplay written by Allen and Marshall Brickman. Allen co-stars as a twice-divorced 42-year-old comedy writer who dates a 17-year-old girl but falls in love with his best friend's mistress. Meryl Streep and Anne Byrne also star.
Anything Else is a 2003 American romantic comedy film written and directed by Woody Allen, produced by Letty Aronson, and starring Allen, Jason Biggs, Stockard Channing, Danny DeVito, Jimmy Fallon, and Christina Ricci. The film premiered as the opening night selection of the 60th Venice International Film Festival. It was released theatrically in the United States on September 19, 2003, to mixed reviews.
Melinda and Melinda is a 2004 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Woody Allen. The film is set in Manhattan and stars Radha Mitchell as the protagonist Melinda, in two storylines; one tragic and the other comic. It premiered at the 2004 San Sebastián International Film Festival and was given a limited theatrical release in the United States on March 18, 2005, by Fox Searchlight Pictures.
The Brothers McMullen is a 1995 American comedy-drama film written, directed, produced by, and starring Edward Burns. It deals with the lives of the three Irish Catholic McMullen brothers from Long Island, New York, over three months, as they grapple with basic ideas and values—love, sex, marriage, religion and family—in the 1990s. It was the first Fox Searchlight film.
Deconstructing Harry is a 1997 American black comedy film written, directed by, and co-starring Woody Allen, with an ensemble cast, including Caroline Aaron, Kirstie Alley, Bob Balaban, Richard Benjamin, Eric Bogosian, Billy Crystal and Judy Davis, as well as Jennifer Garner in her feature film debut. The film tells the story of a successful writer named Harry Block, played by Allen, who draws inspiration from people who he knows in real life, and from events that happen to him, sometimes causing these people to become alienated from him as a result.
Dirty Love is a 2005 American romantic comedy film written by Jenny McCarthy and directed by John Mallory Asher. The film stars McCarthy alongside Eddie Kaye Thomas, Carmen Electra, Victor Webster and Kam Heskin.
Things You Can Tell Just by Looking at Her is a 2000 American romantic drama film written and directed by Rodrigo García and starring an ensemble cast. The film consists of five stories, or vignettes, all centering on women and loosely tied together to examine themes of loneliness, dissatisfaction, longing, and/or desire.
Wild Man Blues is a 1997 documentary film directed by Barbara Kopple, about the musical avocation of actor/director/comic Woody Allen. The film takes its name from a jazz composition by Jelly Roll Morton, recorded by Morton, Armstrong, and many others. Wild Man Blues is rated PG because the film includes several profanities.
The Secret Lives of Dentists is a 2002 drama film directed by Alan Rudolph. The screenplay was written by Craig Lucas, based on the novella The Age of Grief by Jane Smiley. It had its world premiere at the 2002 Toronto International Film Festival and was subsequently screened at several other festivals, including Sundance and Cannes. It had a limited theatrical release in the United States on August 1, 2003.
Company Man is a 2000 comedy film written and directed by Peter Askin and Douglas McGrath. The film stars McGrath, Sigourney Weaver, John Turturro, Ryan Phillippe, Alan Cumming, Anthony LaPaglia, Woody Allen, and Denis Leary as "Officer Fry". Bill Murray had a cameo appearance in the film that was cut before the film's release.
Teeth is a 2007 American comedy horror film written and directed by Mitchell Lichtenstein. The film stars Jess Weixler and was produced by Lichtenstein on a budget of $2 million. It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 19, 2007, and received a limited release in the United States on January 18, 2008, by Roadside Attractions. Its title refers to the ancient trope of vagina dentata.
Andrew Haigh is an English filmmaker. He is best known for writing and directing the films Weekend (2011), 45 Years (2015), Lean on Pete (2017), and All of Us Strangers (2023). He also wrote and directed the HBO series Looking (2014–2015) and its film sequel Looking: The Movie (2016), as well as the BBC Two limited series The North Water (2021).
Bridegroom is a 2013 American documentary film about the relationship between two young gay men, produced and directed by Linda Bloodworth-Thomason. Bridegroom premiered at the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival on April 23, 2013, and attracted further press coverage because its premiere screening at the festival was introduced by former President Bill Clinton.
Irrational Man is a 2015 American mystery comedy drama film written and directed by Woody Allen, and starring Jamie Blackley, Joaquin Phoenix, Parker Posey, and Emma Stone. The film had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on May 16, 2015. It was given a limited theatrical release in the United States on July 17, 2015, by Sony Pictures Classics, followed by a wide release on August 7.
Charlie: The Life and Art of Charles Chaplin is a 2003 American biographical documentary film written and directed by film critic Richard Schickel. The film explores the personal and professional life of the British actor, comedian and filmmaker, Charlie Chaplin, as well as his legacy and influence. It is narrated by Sydney Pollack along with many Hollywood personalities appearing in the film talking about Chaplin, including Robert Downey Jr., Norman Lloyd, Bill Irwin, Woody Allen, Johnny Depp, Richard Attenborough, Martin Scorsese, Miloš Forman, Marcel Marceau, David Raksin, Claire Bloom, David Thomson, Andrew Sarris, Jeanine Basinger and Chaplin's children Geraldine, Michael and Sydney Chaplin. The documentary also benefits from insight from key Chaplin biographers David Robinson and Jeffrey Vance.
Crisis in Six Scenes is an American comedy television miniseries written and directed by Woody Allen for Amazon Studios. Allen wrote and directed six episodes for the half-hour series, marking the first time he has done so for television.
A Rainy Day in New York is a 2019 American romantic comedy film written and directed by Woody Allen, and starring Timothée Chalamet, Elle Fanning, Selena Gomez, Jude Law, Diego Luna, and Liev Schreiber. The film follows the romantic exploits of two young college students, Gatsby and Ashleigh, while on a weekend visit to New York City, Gatsby's hometown. He hopes to deepen their relationship while she is in the city to interview a film director (Schreiber) for their college newspaper.
Downhill is a 2020 American black comedy-drama film directed by Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, who also co-wrote the script with Jesse Armstrong. The film is a remake of Force Majeure (2014) by Swedish director Ruben Östlund. It stars Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Will Ferrell as a married couple going through a rough patch after a near-death encounter during a family ski outing.
Rifkin's Festival is a 2020 comedy film, written and directed by Woody Allen. An American-Spanish-Italian co-production, it stars Wallace Shawn, Elena Anaya, Louis Garrel, Gina Gershon, Sergi López, and Christoph Waltz. It premiered at the 68th San Sebastián International Film Festival on September 18, 2020, and was released in Spain on October 2, 2020, by Tripictures. A short plot summary appeared in The Guardian on September 4, 2019, stating: "The movie, Rifkin’s Festival, is about a couple who fall in love while in town for the San Sebastián film festival, drawing on the annual event as the backdrop to a romantic comedy."
Empire of Light is a 2022 British-American romantic drama film directed, written, and co-produced by Sam Mendes. Set in an English coastal town in the early 1980s, the film is about the power of human connection during turbulent times. It stars Olivia Colman, Micheal Ward, Monica Dolan, Tom Brooke, Tanya Moodie, Hannah Onslow, Crystal Clarke, Toby Jones and Colin Firth.