TRUST   1990 Directed by Hal Hartley 107 minutes English spoken

A much-loved cult favorite which was totally overlooked by the mainstream, Trust is a hip, witty film that stretches and transcends, and ultimately breaks down the definition of a 'romantic comedy' and gives it a more thoughtful bent. It is Hal Hartley's quirky, minimalist masterpiece. And with all the hype around the 1990s independent film movement, it's amazing that Hal Hartley's Trust, likely the best of the bunch, still remains obscure.

In Hartley's second excursion into absurd suburbia, Trust offers audiences the surreal farce and deadpan wit that Hartley turned into his own unique style. It also offers a surprisingly touching romance, marked by wry irony and insights, centering on the idea of trust as a substitute for love. This film also works as a calm, unforced, deeply precise meditation on identity.

For Hartley, the narrative isn't as important as fascinating characterizations and oddball situations. His acting style is dead-pan and his sense of humor is off-beat. The music, which he works on himself, his unusual approach to acting, and his razor-sharp direction, all add up to a wonderful and weird film experience. Several critics compare Hartley to Jim Jarmusch, but this is only because both these directors developed their own powerful style and surrealist understanding of cinema within American culture around the same time. Where many other directors in that scene have become famous, Hartley has remained marginalized and is all but forgotten today, despite having made some of the best films of the 1990s. Why? Because he remained fiercely independent, where other directors like Lynch and Jarmusch made concessions and compromises to further their careers.

Many consider this the best film Hartley has done, so if you are interested in independent cinema by a real auteur, then this one of the best films to start with. Trust is an off-beat, bold, haunting and crystal-clear vision of cinema and life. Truly exceptional. Starring the dazzling Adrienne Shelly.

This will be a high-definition screening