The Trust lacks flashy thrills like those in Tower Heist, one of my favorite heist movies. But it offers two excellent lead performances and another extra-challenging theft showcased on screen. Plus, this crime thriller doesn’t glorify the main characters or their actions. And it also makes us think about the importance of trust for people working together, especially on a dangerous project.

Protect and serve cops vow to do.

But in THE TRUST that’s not quite true.

Two policemen hatch a heist plot

requiring planning and some thought.

Will Murphy’s Law come into play

to ruin the heist and make them pay?

Trusting each other is a must.

Losing trust could cause a bust.

And other hitches might appear

even in their robbery gear.

Crime does not pay, the saying goes.

If that is true, these guys have woes.    

Elijah Wood, Nicolas Cage

do strong acting on center stage.

They get to show their drama chops

in these key roles as corrupt cops.  

In certain spots, THE TRUST slows down --

yet not enough to make us frown.

A better end it should have had.

Still, heist film fans, it’s not so bad.

Nicolas Cage and Elijah Wood play Las Vegas cops who are not happy with their jobs. Stone (Cage) realizes that no promotion is in the works for him, and Waters (Wood) seems bored even with prostitutes and pot. When Stone discovers unexplained cash on bail release paperwork, he finds the location where the money is stashed and persuades Waters to join him in stealing all of it. Stone knows the place is practically impenetrable, but he thinks it’s possible to drill through to the mysterious bank vault. Unfortunately, these new heist guys are in for some big surprises!                    

Cage and Wood deserve credit for their convincing performances as two miserable guys who believe their lives could be made better by stealing already stolen cash. I am a Nicolas Cage fan because of his fine acting talent in so many movies (Lord of War, The Frozen Ground, Rage,  etc.). But Elijah Wood surprised me completely here. He looks better than ever and projects so many emotions in a very difficult role.         

Directors Alex and Benjamin Brewer show considerable potential with their first feature film. The Trust may not be perfect, but it should please many heist film fans.  

(Released by Saban Films and rated “R” for violence, language, some sexuality and drug use.)

For more information about The Trust, go to the IMDb or Rotten Tomatoes website.