Trust

An insecure suburban 14 year old girl starts a relationship with a 16 year old boy in a chatroom who gradually reveals himself to be 20, then 25, and finally in his mid 30s when she agrees to meet him at the local mall. Preying on her weaknesses, he convinces her to return to his hotel room where he sexually assaults her. Confiding in a loyal friend at school who relays what happened to the principal, an FBI investigation begins and the girl's life starts to unravel. Also, her laid back father who advertises for a store that markets scantily clad teenagers to sell its apparel, is taken aback and soon becomes obsessed with finding the man who assaulted her son. Trust is an exercise in realism, tackling difficult issues and not soft serving as is often the case with the subject in made for TV movies. This is the feature debut for Friends alum David Schwimmer, who demonstrates a strong handle for the craft, gauging strong performances from his actors and engaging methods in which to tell his story. Clive Owen delivers some of his strongest work as a man who never even considered the situation he's in and is shocked by the way his daughter reacts to the case. His final speech is wonderfully realized and delivered. Catherine Keener is wonderful has well who sees the unhealthy obsession developing in her husband and is perhaps more perceptive with their daughter. 15 year old and relative newcomer Liana Liberato delivers a remarkable performance is well, and as she goes through the roller coaster ride we gain a clearer window into what being a victim of this terrible offense at that uneasy age must be like. Supporting players are fine as well, especially Jason Clarke as a dogged FBI agent and the wonderful Viola Davis as a tender and patient counselor. Trust is a film that tackles a difficult issues head on, offers no easy answers, and provides insight into our technological world and the dangers that can stem from it.