[We are excited to have a feature series by a guest blogger in the coming weeks. Sheryl over at girlvsplanet.com is covering the 2014 Phoenix Film Festival on her blog and will be cross-posting the coverage here as well. Enjoy the series and let her know if you have any feedback at sheryl@girlvsplanet.com.]
I’m not sure, but this could possibly end up being my favorite film of the festival this year. It’s definitely in the top three. It’s funny, because The Trouble With The Truth is a simple movie, but also quite complicated. The majority of the movie is basically a conversation between a couple that was married for 14 years and then divorced. The opening sequence introduces their daughter, but her role is actually a pretty small one.
Here’s what I loved about this film: the title. It’s exactly what the movie is about. This is a film about raw honesty. You’ve had those conversations that go into the late hours of the night, right? I know I have. I’m pretty sure we all have. This movie is about those conversations. It revolves around one of those conversations. It takes the complicatedness (yes, I know that might not be a word) of life and hashes it out in one of those conversations. I have to say, I kind of love those kind of conversations.
Here’s the part where I go off on a tangent. There’s honestly not a lot to say about the film itself. There’s not much I can say without giving away spoilers or something. But the reason we all end up liking movies tends to be a lot about how much we relate them to ourselves. I mean, sure there are the entertaining action superhero films or the great comedies that make you laugh. But I believe the best films are the ones that move you. The ones that you can relate to. The ones that you liken back to life and your version of it. For me, this movie did that in spades. I believe strongly in being real with people. It’s one of the things I strive for most, being honest and transparent about who I am. If you know me, you know me. That’s why I love those kinds of conversations.
Watching this movie you are watching a conversation between two fictional people. But there’s a reason we like story telling… our lives are stories too, that are meant to be shared with other people. That’s what this movie is about – our stories and sharing them honestly with each other. Even if life’s messy. That’s “the trouble with the truth”.
