Writer/Director Freundlich manages to hit his one liners well with the occasional sharp exchange between characters that drew a chuckle or two from me. Most of the film though is helped by Crudup who takes to his role as the sarcastic slacker with veritable ease. Sure, most of the time he seems to be doing an impression of Bill Murray in “Ghostbusters” but his character had the most cause to be likable, and he grabs this role and adds the much needed laughs. His argument with Gyllenhaal in the second half in a bedroom is probably the funniest moment of “Trust the Man,” and it’s all his show.

I think the only reason you’d probably want to see “Trust the Man” is to watch a specific star in the ensemble cast. Honestly, I’m a fan of Billy Crudup and Maggie Gyllenhaal so they were my draw, but beyond them, “Trust the Man” is a mediocre and awfully average romance dramedy with the same relationship conflicts and dynamics you’ve seen a thousand times in much better movies. Really when you cut through all the garbage, Bart Freundlich presents us with an illusion of originality. One couple is seasoned and questioning their devotion and loyalty, another couple is just starting and facing the fright of being in a dead end marriage. In the same basic playing field, “Trust the Man” commits the folly of depicting four selfish and obnoxious people who all believe they’re doing what’s justified while the men get the worst punishment. The men in this story are deplorably depicted as childish, ignorant, and sexually desperate while their women berate them for having needs and try to come off as put upon when they tear them down in every aspect.

Worst of all he’s confronted and then punished for his infidelity, but wife Rebecca who also commits adultery is never confronted or taken to task, and is instead viewed as sad therefore the affair was reasonable. In one awful scene, our two men are sitting for lunch and ask "Why can't we take things seriously?" When really they should be asking what most men may be thinking: "Why are our wives such cunts? Why are we with them?" Freundlich's “Trust the Man” doles out such trite clichés as the convenient introductions of potential characters that may lure one of the cast into infidelity, while basic conversations involving romance, and life are drudged back and forth with rather yawn inducing tedium. And we’re also led into inexplicably unresolved subplots and lazily introduced characters who suddenly disappear. So… was Elaine contemplating homosexuality after her one night stand with her editor Norah, or was it just experimental? What purpose did the entire confrontation serve beyond adding a memorable moment? Why didn’t we ever see her again? Did Elaine ever get published? Where did her goofy boyfriend go off to in the climax? Why was Eva Mendes even in this movie, again? What’s with the weird cameo from Garry Shandling? Why did Tom even go to the Sex Addicts meetings?

Was he trying to connect with someone? Was he looking for someone to sleep with? Or was he just confused about his normal sexual needs? Beyond those lingering questions that are never ever touched on after they’ve done their job of padding the story, you’re left asking another question: Why is such an extraordinary cast taking part in such an ordinary movie? And equally, why should this movie appeal to us just because it has this hip cast? “Trust the Man” offers nothing more than the spotlight for Crudup to spark comedy and in between its just the same old hat formula that we’ve seen in much better movies by much better writers. And when we think we’ve had enough, we’re led into a goofy climax that jumps to sappy and right into plain idiotic. The ultimate pay off is sadly just as predictable as the entire story.

I was entertained in small doses, I thought Crudup was funny, and I laughed at some dialogue, but beyond the small hits, “Trust the Man” suffered more from its bigger misses of tedium, terrible depictions of men, and recycled relationship conflicts we’ve seen a thousand times over. Just watch "Husbands and Wives" and you'll thank me later.

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