Review of Trust Me (2014) by Matt L — 07 Nov 2018

You recognize Clark Gregg. He's that guy from Avengers. He's the guy from TV. He's the guy from other movies. You like him and always thought he should get his own movie. Well, he knows it and uses this to great effect in his directorial debut in which he stars as the leading man, Howard.

Howard is a down on his luck children's agent who cannot catch a break. The movie begins and we see his client lose out on a role to Lindsay Lohan's little brother which is already a dated reference but still works. As he is getting fired by the boy's mother (a nice, extended cameo from Molly Shannon), Gregg's character overhears a 14-year-old girl giving SUCH a realistic, dramatic performance in the room next door that he interrupts to make sure that she is OK.

This is a great turn. What a way to establish that an agent actually believes in their client! Their relationship flourishes and he signs her. Over the course of the next day, there are negotiations, there is a subplot where Howard pursues his neighbor played by Amanda Peet and he squabbles with his rival child agent Sam Rockwell. This movie is populated by other character actors like William H. Macy, Niecy Nash, Allison Janney, Felicity Huffman to name a few. Everywhere you look is a face you know.

On top of that, the movie was ahead of its time. Yes, it was made in 2013 but it was saying things about sexual abuse and how it should be handled responsibly and publicly rather than swept under the rug. The movie really has a conscience, a beating heart and isn't your typical vanity project made by a first-time director starring in his own film. It's a lot more than that even though the cover with Gregg's face planted on it might suggest otherwise.

Also, the movie essentially has scenes in it that are identical to "Birdman" which was released a year later. I won't divulge what the similarities are because it is a major spoiler (literally related to the final shot of the film) but after reflection, I'm not sure if it was parallel thought or just a confluence of ideas. Either way, this one flew under the radar and is certainly worth a look. It's streaming on Amazon Prime. You'll like it. Trust me.

That's the title of the movie. I hate how well it fit.