A slightly twisted comedy.
Misrepresented at the time of its release, Trust throws the typical ‘rom-com’ events following a meet-cute out the window. While the film may open with one of the leads holding a hand grenade, it forces viewers to analyze the many ways the characters could self-destruct, as well as the self-reflection required to build a healthy family.
The main characters, Maria and Matthew, are drawn together by the immediate recognition of their similarities; however, it is their differences that they come to admire and trust the most. Intentionally monotone, bittersweet, and brutally honest, Hal Hartley’s 1990 script highlights the strengths of the American indie genre in processing social malaise.
Featuring an introduction on Sunday (11/30 at 3 pm) by Dr. Mark L. Berrettini, Professor of Film Studies at Portland State University!
Dr. Berrettini has taught in the School of Film at PSU since 2007, and he has published work on American independent cinema since the late 1990s, including the book Hal Hartley (2011) in the Contemporary Film Directors series published by the University of Illinois Press and essays in US Independent Film after 1989: Possible Films, (Edinburgh University Press, 2015), and The Cinema of Hal Hartley: Flirting with Formalism (Wallflower/Columbia University Press, 2017).
Dr. Berrettini will share a brief talk exploring the film’s significance within Hal Hartley’s career and offer context for his broader body of work, leading up to Hartley’s most recent feature released this fall.
Week 9: November 29, 30
Dir. Hal Hartley (1990); US, UK; English; 107 min
Programmed by Clara
*** No Friday screenings due to campus closure.
Saturday, November 29 at 6:00 PM & 8:30 PM
Sunday, November 30 at 3:00 PM