WATCH THE TRAILER HERE
First, the Recap:
SURPRISE!! Is this not an exclamation that carries with it two primary reactions–glee or dread? Whether it becomes a circumstance filled with celebration or foreboding (again, all situational and dependent on exactly what KIND of shock is being aimed for), the feeling one is left with is nonetheless invigorating or draining. However, what might happen when you’re surprised by, well, another surprise?? In context, let’s take for our example “prize” wife Karen (Constance Forslund) and her son Barron (Colin Thomas Jennings) as they await the sharing of their dearly, recently departed husband/father’s demise from a rather unrelentingly tiresome illness we’re all too familiar with lately. Even as the Zoom meeting the two have with family executor Stan (Joe Nassi) gets underway to see who’s getting what, an unanticipated visitor named Kenisha (Tangie Ambrose) joins in, throwing everything into a tizzy–until another unforeseen revelation upends events even further–but for WHO??
Next, my Mind:
Presenting a quite hilarious and playfully satiric combination of wry wit and blatant comedic insanity wrapped in the shell of familial disharmony amidst the reading of a loved one’s will, this eleven-minute short film effort from writer/director/producer Harris Shore carries its thematic explorations on its sleeve with full-on jocularity and all-too-true conviction while delivering a story that more seriously resonates and bubbles under the surface with real-world implications and notions we’re confronting in the age of COVID-19. I think that’s one general facet of this film that hit me a little after I’d watched it and then really started pondering it–the fact that it can even poke a little “fun” at the worldwide pandemic we’re all SO overtly OVER but yet NOT treating it as something to take lightly given the unfortunate impact it has had on so many over the years it’s now been a part of our lives.
But, I slightly digress. The MAIN gist here that finds a mother/now-widow and her son facing the loss of the home’s patriarch and now pursuing the reading of the will (paired with a few unexpected twists that arrive with tangible force) very much centers and comedically expands on multiple ideas we would associate with this type of scenario, including how we cope with loss, how we sometimes inadvertently utilize incorrect words that mean other than what we actually meant to say (watch the film to understand this more succinctly), the varying opinions about the impersonal nature of handling certain business via Zoom, and the subsequent confusion when parties we don’t even know become a part of the proceedings, all topped off with the equally differing reactions of those involved when the monetary disbursements in a will are revealed.
Wait! It’s not over yet! The film then entreats us to even MORE craziness when the first of the aforementioned alluded to twists turns out to be a lot more than anyone would have remotely guessed, and this in itself leads to a whole other slew of concepts being conveyed through the ensuing chaos–jealousy, entitled and flabbergasted disbelief, social class, upbringing, and race all make an entrance along with some good ole fashioned hilarity, mind you, as the film’s tone is intended to give rise to, while dropping yet ANOTHER bombshell reveal into the story that would have put a wonderful exclamation point on everything with wholly sufficient impact. WAIT! It’s NOT over! The film then provides us its ULTIMATE twist that trumps it all, offering a finale that is priceless (six foot rule included! WATCH the film!) and SO apropos to the events we’ve witnessed while likewise allowing for a TON of conjecture to take over in the film’s literal ending moment, imagining all the continuing laughs that are about to take place in our minds.
Forslund turns in a wonderfully whimsical performance here through her role as Karen, a “souvenir” wife who’s enjoyed the rich life yet certainly seems to harbor mildly veiled regrets and resentments about the way she’s been treated over the years by a now-deceased husband whom she’s drinking away her sorrows to as a Zoom meeting is about to reveal what she’s gained from it all. Even as her somewhat disheveled/tipsy demeanor begins to surface on the call, much to the chagrin of her equally distracted through more invested son, Karen’s world gets a sudden reality check when both a stranger and a visitor to her home completely send the events into a tailspin. It’s one of those performances that thrives on total comedic timing to be effective, and the manner through which Forslund portrays the character is a spot-on riot!
Likewise, but via a alternate stylistic execution, Jennings brings about an equally funny yet more grounded character as Barron, Karen’s son and one who seems much more understandably upset over his dear father’s passing–perhaps because of a now-missed outing he was planning–but also exuding more genuine sadness at the loss. Trying to keep his mother in line, Barron still has his own level of distractedness and reservations about the whole Zoom meeting idea to settle the will, while also getting ready for other plans for the day he has. Yet, once he is advised what he’ll be inheriting from his father, it’s that typical reaction that we so often see, a hesitant gratefulness in wanting immediate satisfaction but not getting it. Then, when everything goes sideways, his completely contrasting handling of it compared to Mom is a stitch and very well-played by Jennings.
Nassi arrives with beautifully understated bravado and a more quietly jocular presence as the family’s executor Stan who more than ends up in over his head when all the secrets and revelations begin spilling out during what could (or SHOULD!) have been a simple, straight-forward meeting goes painfully awry. The sheer reactions of frustrated and helpless disbelief Stan showcases as events spiral is a total hoot, especially when it SEEMS he may have known a LOT more than he would have ever let on about the situation. It’s a perfectly presented performance Nassi delivers and highly amusing. Ambrose rounds out the primary cast as Kenisha, a total “will reading” crasher and unforeseen (in the end unwanted!) presence to the happenings that throws one of the biggest curveballs into it all and it is an absolute exercise in hysterical fun when she blows up the meeting in the ways she does, ushering in one of the films most zany scenes via an argument with Karen that covers all sorts of elements as listed above.
It is another aspect of this film that so deftly brings about the humorous elements being offered to us, and Ambrose just milks every moment with delicious glee. Shore himself makes a cameo in the film and that’s all I’ll say about that. In total, “The Trust” paints a picture of just how quickly a family’s bonds and future can be shaken to the core, but does so in a magnificently uncomplicated, fully entertaining way while also poking a bit of needed fun at the bane that is COVID-19. BUT, it also makes a wonderful closing statement at the end of the film’s credits that is VITAL to read in its heartfelt sentiment. Lately, we could ALL use as many things that can make us smile/laugh, and it is with a grateful attitude that I applaud efforts like this for allowing us the chance to sit back, take a breath (even if just for 11 minutes) and do just that.
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
Kirk,
You got it. you really got it. Thank you so very much. Harris Shore, Producing Writer/Director – THE TRUST