Trust (1990)

When high school dropout Maria Coughlin (Adrienne Shelly) announces her pregnancy to her parents, her father drops dead on the floor. Her mother kicks her out of the house and her boyfriend dumps her, so Maria is left alone and homeless.

Martin Donovan really excels here and represents a type of person some of us know all too well. The man who rebels against the world, but in a sort of passive-aggressive, nihilistic fashion. It is interesting that this film came out in 1990, as the 90s were very much a nihilistic decade for film and music, and the character of Matthew Slaughter sort of anticipates that.

Hal Hartley may not be as well known as Jim Jarmusch or (early) Richard Linklater, but he has that same independent vibe. He has done here for Long Island what Linklater did for Austin.

Fmovies: I caught this movie on the television network Bravo. I didn't see the very beginning but found myself glued to the machinations of the Matthew Slaughter character. I felt the performance of Martin Donavan was wonderful and I enjoyed the odd way the characters spoke with one another. The lines were rapid-fire, almost like "Moonlighting", but with a different nuance which I can't quite put my finger on. The movie was funny, but the best word for it is "interesting". It truly was a movie unlike any other I had seen, with a Coen Brothers sense of humor. I wish I knew more people who had seen it, because it is a movie that warrants discussion afterward.

This is the film that made the film world (well, a tiny corner of the film world, anyway) sit up and take notice of an up-and-coming filmmaker named Hal Hartley. Trust exists as a unique little motion picture, a movie which creates a world which manages to be both ridiculous and real at the same time, a mixture mirroring the absurdity which, often times, dominates the structure of actual life. The most remarkable thing about this movie, though, is its ability to craft a charmingly sweet love story in the center out of what seems to be utter emptiness. Martin Donavan and Adrienne Shelley portray two characters, the likes of which I would challenge you to find carbon copies of anywhere in celluloid history. They are real, honest sketches of humanity, and with them Hartley is able to explore why and how we fall in love, and whether you agree with his interpretation of what is love, his love story comes across loud and clear. I once had a professor who claimed there are no new stories to be told. Well, I think Mr. Hartley may have stumbled across one...no, make that, calculatedly made one.

Trust fmovies. I saw this one when I was working in a small movie theater as a student back in 1991 in Leuven, Belgium. I cannot explain why but this little gem of a movie touched me and I fell in love with all the characters (specially the main ones played by Adrienne Shelly and Martin Donovan), the modest soundtrack (loved the synthesizer score at the end), the dialogs, the humor mixed with social and realistic situations. Now, 23 years later, I had the chance to rediscover this movie by accident through a local internet movie site and honestly, after having seen hundreds of movies in all genres during the passed years, it still remains my favorite movie of all times. Thank you, Mr Hartley! One from the heart!

TRUST (1990) *** Adrienne Shelly and Martin Donovan shine as a pregnant, naive teen who is befriended by troubled loner-type, respectively, in this sharply written satire/black comedy/and at times gimmicky bloodless acting (but that's also the warped appeal) that brings into question the monotony of dreary jobs, thankless relationships and bad parenting. Directed by Hal Hartley in his signature solemnity.

Trust me, this is one of the best made movies of all times. I cannot believe that more people don't know about this movie. It has a great story, brilliant acting and it's really funny. This is like the best Inde movie ever. But just see it for yourself and if you like it tell someone about it, because although it is a small film, it is great American art and should be recognized.