By Geno McGahee
I am a huge fan of Nicolas Cage but am now often weary of renting or buying one of his recent films. It’s sort of like Steven Seagal. I love his early work, but a lot of his recent films pale in comparison. Thankfully, I only paid 4 dollars to roll the dice on THE TRUST, a 2016 action/thriller with Nicolas Cage and Elijah Wood. It’s difficult to lose with those two headlining, and Cage has a tremendous mustache. If he didn’t have the mustache, I may not have been so optimistic. I wonder why ever movie with a cop plants a mustache on the officers? Cage has one here because he’s a cop. Watch THE FUGITIVE…lots of bad mustaches on the police.
We start with the broken Waters (Wood), having sex with a prostitute and setting the tone for the film. That’s a lot more action than he got in THE LORD OF THE RINGS and he didn’t even have to use his Dildo Baggins on her. Meanwhile, Stone (Cage) is at a crime scene and arguing with his boss about new equipment…haggling over the costs. Waters shows up and we learn that he and Stone are friends and both are in a bad place. Stone lives with his dad and is a relative social misfit, which is why the two have become friends.
After looking through some evidence, Stone discovers that a drug dealer was released on 200 grand of bail money that was paid in cash, leading him to wonder if there was more money to be had. He approaches Waters about hitting up a grocery store that has a secret underground safe where there must be millions kept. Waters, desperate for friendship and for money, reluctantly agrees. The two set out a plan to drill through the safe, get the money and run, but things escalate quickly as Stone starts to bring it to another level.
Hitting up the apartment above the store, the duo kills one bad guy and ties up the girl (Sky Ferreira), and begin drilling , but Waters is having second thoughts. When they break into the safe and they discover diamonds and much more, Waters realizes that he’s being played and that the intentions of his partner may include killing him as well.
A few stupid moves lead to some twists and turns and a dark ending. THE TRUST has great performances by Cage, Wood and Ferreira, but the writing and pacing just aren’t there. The film focuses on being dark and gritty, which it accomplishes, but it just comes out lacking in development and overall story. Had this film not had Cage and Wood as the force pushing it forward, it would probably be piss poor but with the greatness of Cage working off the likability of Wood, we get some movie magic and an entertaining watch at times. I just wish they could have taken a step back and gone through the screenplay a few more times before going into production.
THE TRUST is not a great film, but there are some Cage moments. It’s sad that he has to take the Seagal route and make less than great films to get work, but there are still salvageable moments in these latest films, including THE TRUST. I do recommend it but you’re not going to be missing out on too much if you don’t see it.
Rating: 5/10
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