Sword Of Trust didn’t click with me. I was bummed about it because of my love for Marc Maron, Jillian Bell, Lynn Shelton, and Michaela Watkins. The seemingly quirky dialogue felt improvised, and there didn’t seem to be any chemistry between the principal actors in the film. The premise of Sword Of Trust is fine enough. Writer/Director Lynn Shelton is shining a light on our conspiracy-driven world. In this case, the narrative centers on a sword which is said to prove the south won the Civil War.
The film does attempt to tackle some heavier topics like the death of Cynthia’s (Bell) grandfather. Her character does come in thinking that she’s about to inherit his house (which she intended to sell to help with having a baby with her girlfriend Mary (Watkins) ) but finds out her grandpappy (as she calls him) had to get a reverse mortgage in order to pay for his care as his health was fading (so now the bank owns the house). What was surprising is how quickly they glossed over this portion of the film.
Sword Of Trust is described as a dark comedy, and there were plenty of items in her grandfather’s house they could have used for the film. The focus shifts almost immediately to Mel’s (Maron) Pawn Shop and how much they could get for this family item. The whole movie comes off as a bit disingenuous. Maybe it’s just me because Sword Of Trust currently has a 95% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. My advice is that if you are a fan of Maron or Bell, then I guess (shrugs) the film is worth your time. However, if youwait a few weeks, Sword Of Trust will likely be on-demand which lessen the risk of taking a chance on this quirk fest.
Dewey Singleton has been reviewing new releases in television and film for many years. Dewey's reviews have been heard in multiple markets (Houston Atlanta, Tampa). Dewey's past work has been with awardswatch.com, awardsradar.com, and bleeding cool. Dewey is a proud member of the CCA.