Why is David Duchovny always attached to porn?

[A late movie review from September]


I've always enjoyed David Duchovny's comedic timing. His acting always tended to be a little stiff, even in The X-Files, but you could always count on some subtle witty remarks in his promotional appearances on The Tonight Show or Letterman. Which is why I enjoyed most of Trust the Man. Playing stay-at-home dad Tom who has a slight addiction to porn, Duchovny manages to deliver performance that's just low key enough to be funny without gross-out humor. Julianne Moore plays his actress wife Rebecca, who's marraige isn't as perfect as some might think. Tobey (Billy Crudup) is Rebecca's brother who has commitment issues with his girlfriend Elaine, (played by Maggie Gylenenanahallalaa...uh...the sister of that Donnie Darko/Brokeback guy).

This movie had potential, taking a somewhat realistic look at what happens in relationships, how they can quickly deteriorate, and what it really takes to make them work. For the first half of the movie, Trust the Man is good. Throw in a hilarious scene where Rebecca is narrating a porn video to her husband, as he's trying to masturbate under the covers, and the movie was even pretty funny. Think of a Woody Allen movie, and you might understand the tone this film was trying to reach. Unfortunately, the ending turns into a rather formulaic tidy conclusion that would put even the worst J. Lo or Reese Witherspoon romantic comedy to shame.

The performances are strong, though, and for that, I'd at least recommend giving it a look when it goes to DVD.

** (out of *****)