Trespass with Nicolas Cage and Nicole Kidman

Written by Jonathan Jacobs

Joel Schumacher's Trespass is an action thriller in an unenviable position. The brunt of its viewership will come from On Demand subscribers (depending on one's cable service: DirecTV, Comcast, Dish Network, etc.). It will debut in only a fraction of the nation's major cineplexes and will essentially be automatically relegated to independent movie status, virtually rendering a film with mainstream appeal a niche indy production. For this debacle we can blame Millennium Films and the producers onboard with the movie. If they decided to pay both Nicole Kidman and Nicolas Cage's unreasonable asking prices, one would expect the film to at least near the top of the Box Office Numbers chart. All business aside (here's looking at you Wall Street protestors), Trespass is an interesting film with conniving layer piled on top of layer ad nauseam, almost ad infinitum.

Sarah (Nicole Kidman) and Avery Miller (Liana Liberato) live a mundane existence except for one key facet; they are abundantly rich. Kyle Miller (Nicolas Cage) is a traveling diamond broker. Superficially, he looks to be made of money like Scrooge McDuck. The family's fortunes (literally) do not go unnoticed by the people surrounding them. One unlucky and fateful evening, when Kyle is actually home with his family, a band of unlikely robbers stage a home invasion. Luckily, Avery has ventured to a part miles away from the horror because this is no random grouping of thieves. They have been watching Kyle and his wife both from a distance and up close and personal. There are four thieves and they are after Kyle's diamonds. One of the pilferers is madly in love with Sarah and has been working as an alarm security guard around the house for months. This is Jonah (Cam Gigandet), a loving stealer that is desperate to safeguard Sarah despite the intense hostility directed her way by his cohorts.

Jonah's brother Elias (Ben Mendelsohn) is the perceived leader of the crew. Elias is conflicted, violent, and increasingly frustrated with the direction in which the robbery is going. Kyle and his wife Sarah stall for time and look for an escape valve where there is none. They are at death's doorstep every step of the way, but for some reason there is great divisiveness amidst the crew. This forestalls their immediate execution. Besides, Elias and the gang cannot escape the Miller household empty handed. Debts are owed, plans have been made, and double-crosses are underway. Everybody in this tense powder keg is performing a macabre dance.

Is Sarah sexually involved with Jonah? Is Kyle completely broke? And just why is Elias in the picture leading the robbery? For what reason did they bring the brute Ty (Dash Mihok)? Ty is vengeful and vicious. He is willing to massacre the entire family in exchange for their diamonds. Just how much coercion will it take to bring down the master of the house or have circumstances already ruined his life? What will happen when or if Avery returns to find the robbery in progress? Tune in to find out folks!

Often pundits are deluded in their egomania and their assertions are flat our wrong. Nicolas Cage's critics have been clamoring for the actor to choose a role that is out of the ordinary to retool his acting skills. Finally he decided to act in an independent film and it has been one of the least publicized and slightest recognized movies of the entire year. Where are those same pundits that swore him off until he followed their advice? That's right, they are busy writing about other actors and fearing for their lives as Paranormal Activity 3 hits the big screen. For her part, Nicole Kidman looks as beautiful as ever. She has a glowing sweetness that could not have arrived at a better time for her veteran career to continue without being unhinged. Cage and Kidman are improbable bedfellows but they work well together. Let's not leave out the rising star Cam Gigandet. There is something about his eyes and his sinister gaze that turn him into an instant villain. He is a good looking, talented young actor, but he appears to be a natural born scoundrel or psychopath. Overall, Trespass is lively enough to be exciting and the actors are likeable enough to maintain anyone's interest. This film would be perfect for Cinemax's action film channel. It is moderately clever and exciting though rightfully so, not quite ready for the big screen.