Matter of Trust Reviews

Matter of Trust is a classic example of an interesting idea run amok. All the archetypical B-movie clichés are present and accounted for, but what really makes the movie is an unintended twist on the twist; the identity of the real killer is inadvertently telegraphed so harshly very early on that the suspense in the last third comes from knowing all the red herrings are red herrings. The sly looks, the sudden introduction of minor characters, the roundabout conversations that seem to point in other directions -- they're all so transparent that it's funny. Director and celebrity brother Joey Travolta possesses no subtlety whatsoever in constructing a thriller; worse, his actors start out raving and therefore have no emotional room to build character. So what is left is one dead cat, five dead prostitutes, one sautéed ring finger (is C. Thomas Howell the only actor to appear in two movies featuring fingers for food? Wasn't this seen in The Hitcher?), one dead perverted eccentric, one dead lawyer in an elevator (he was mean to the star so he deserved it), one dead detective, and several shots of a building bearing the sign "Travolta Auto Body." Perhaps Joey is advertising his next career. The best thing about this movie is Joan Severance's amazingly large and blue eyes.