Review: David Schwimmer's 'Trust' Is an Emotional and Thought-Provoking Drama

David Schwimmer's Trust humanizes a delicate topic that few filmmakers explore. The story of a sexual assault involving a minor and a seasoned online predator isn't exactly the formula for a blockbuster hit, but although the severe subject matter may limit Trust's box office potential, it's definitely a film worth seeing.

This intense character drama gives the cast opportunities to delve into an emotionally complex topic. Trust follows the story of a 14-year-old girl, Annie (Liana Liberato), who falls victim to a middle-aged sex offender. Like most teens her age, Annie just wants to make the volleyball team and meet a cute boy. She thinks she's found him when she strikes up a friendship with a guy named Charlie in an online chat room. Initially, she believes they're the same age, but after agreeing to meet him in person, she learns that he's actually much, much older. He lures her into a hotel room and takes advantage of her. The rest of the film deals with the fallout after the assault is reported to the authorities and how her parents, played by Clive Owen and Catherine Keener, cope with every parent's worst nightmare.

Clive Owen and Liana Liberato both give remarkable performances and lend believability and depth to their onscreen father/daughter relationship. Although she's just 15 years old, Liberato's portrayal of a victim, who experiences bouts of denial, anger and ultimately shame, shows talent and maturity beyond her years.

Owen adeptly portrays a father who becomes obsessed with the crime and is eventually overcome with guilt that culminates in an emotional moment where he breaks down in front of his daughter, admitting that he doesn't know if she should forgive him for failing to protect her.

Although he will probably never live down his years as Ross Gellar on the successful TV show Friends, David Schwimmer has proven that he has a future behind the camera. He says he was inspired to create Trust because of his work with the Rape Foundation in Santa Monica, California. After hearing a father's story about coming to terms with his own daughter's sexual assault by an online predator, Schwimmer decided to dramatize the issue with sensitivity and humanity; he succeeds with Trust.

The cast successfully brings the script (by Andy Bellin and Robert Festinger) to life in a relatable and compelling way, steering the movie out of Lifetime territory. The end result being a cautionary tale about innocence in the internet age that is highly emotional and thought provoking.