User Reviews

I don't get the reviews giving this 1-3 out of ten, it's actually quite funny if you're the sort of person that can appreciate subtle humour as opposed the the endless steam of crappy American comedies starring the same handful of actors, I'm looking at you Seth Rogan, Paul Rudd, Katherine Heigl etc. I can only imagine those low scores are from low brow people that believe the conspiracy nonsense this movie pokes fun at.

Greetings again from the darkness. Lynn Shelton has put together a very successful career that began with her contributions to the early days of mumblecore (Andrew Bujalski, the Duplass brothers, et al). Along with her filmmaking, she has mixed in some fine TV work, including multiple episodes of "GLOW", "Fresh Off the Boat", and "New Girl". This time out, with a script she co-wrote with Mike O'Brien, she stays true to her offbeat roots and love of characters with character.

There is a story here, and in fact, it was the synopsis that contributed to me agreeing to review this one ... well that, and the previous work of Ms. Shelton. Cynthia (Jillian Bell) and her partner Mary (Michaela Watkins) have returned to Alabama with the expectation of inheriting Cynthia's grandfather's house. Instead of the house, Cynthia instead walks away with an antique sword, whose accompanying drawing and handwritten letter supposedly prove that the South won the Civil War.

A visit to Mel's Pawn Shop begins the process of finding a buyer for the sword. Cranky Mel is played by Marc Maron, best known for his stand-up comedy. As a shop owner, he seems constantly annoyed by his dim bulb employee Nathaniel (Jon Bass). The two couldn't be more different, as Nathaniel spends his work days plugged into conspiracy podcasts (including one run by the film's co-writer Mike O'Brien in a quick cameo). However, it's Nathaniel that discovers the "truthers" who believe the 'South won the war', and are the best possible fit as buyers for Cynthia's sword.

Director Shelton makes an appearance as Deirdre, Mel's former lover. As a couple, their rocky history includes significant drug use and little contribution to society. Also appearing is Toby Huss as Hog Jaws, the oddball middleman involved with the sword transaction. "Seinfeld" fans will recall Mr. Huss as "The Wiz" from that popular show.

This is a deep cut indie, and the humor will either appeal to you or you'll find it absolutely absurd (or maybe both). The entertainment is derived from the 'little' moments and the manner in which the characters interact. It appears many scenes were improvised, a trait of early Shelton projects, and with such talented comedy actors, it's no wonder. The offbeat story simply exists to give these actors a reason to be funny ... something they do quite well.

I just finished watching "Sword of Trust" and I give it above average marks as a movie. I thought it had good entertainment value, it had something to say without preaching it, it was well cast and well written. It was a low budget movie which used its resources wisely. And above all, it made no pretentions to be anything but what it was, and that puts it above average right there. I was not familiar with the works of Maron or Shelton prior to this movie, but I will look out for their names in future. The story is simple and contains appropriate weirdness for this time in which it was made. Early on a pair of women receive an unexpected inheritance from the estate of an ancient relative: a Civil War sword that is argued to be "proof" that the South won the Civil War. I think writer even invented a new internet term, 'prover' (at least I had not heard it before). A pawnshop owner gets involved and the action mostly revolves around the interactions of the characters involved. I enjoyed Marc Maron's writing and acting, the writing was wryly humorous and observant. The acting was understated. I especially liked Jon Bass' performance as the internet junkie (barely) staffing the pawnshop. Michael Watkins and Jillian Bells' character interactions were believable to a point and well acted. Supporting character Toby Huss was properly 'over' acted and Dan Bakkedahl was solid. I think it was well directed, well acted, the dialogue was cute and humorous for the most part. The background music went well with the rural/ semi-suburban ambiance of the picture, which I also liked. Some of the action is improbable, but it is no more improbable than most movies, including high dollar high attendance shows that are not as entertaining. This movie is about ordinary Americans in an age where the most ridiculous ideas are peddled to all and sundry allowing anybody to partake of any of a collosal amount of conspiracy theories including that the earth is flat. If you like this movie at all you may be interested in a great audio album that predates the internet by a couple score years but does not predate the current insanity: Firesign Theatre's "Everything You Know is Wrong". It was consistently funny and way way ahead of its time. And still is.

Cynthia (Jillian Bell) and her wife Mary (Michaela Watkins) visit Alabama, and learn that Cynthia has inherited a Civil War sword from her grandfather. They try to sell it to pawn shop owner Mel (Marc Maron), while Mel's slacker employee Nathaniel (Jon Bass) observes. But there's something special about the sword, which leads them to artifact collector "Kingpin" (David Bakkedahl).

7 Good The story, by Lynn Shelton and Mike O'Brien, is a rather silly, but makes an excellent framework for comedy improvisation. A story revision based on a script note added a nice touch of respect for southerners. Shelton does a very good job of directing. The main cast all deliver excellent comedy and good dramatic performances; Shelton herself is very good in a small dramatic role. Maron provides very good music.

Overall, I rate the film good.

Languages: English.

Rating: I don't think this film has a US rating (yet), but I'd guess it would rate a "R", for language.

I came across this while browsing for something easy to watch, the synopsis almost swayed me away but I'm glad I watched it. It's a (mostly) light hearted comedy that has quite a few funny moments.

A very quirky film that takes place in today's American Deep South. So naturally, it's about the American Civil War (The War of the Northern Aggression). There's an old, inherited Union (The Army of the Northern Aggression) sword that supposedly proves that the south won the war. The sword now belongs to a lesbian couple who team up with a Birmingham pawnbroker and his dim sidekick to sell the sword to a collector for big bucks. That's when the characters plucked from Deliverance start to appear. This movie is never predictable. At least it has that going for it.

Firstly this film is awful, about as funny as a root canal, and more tedious. I am certain that the only people giving it a passing grade of over three stars must be the poor put upon family members of the film's makers. Faux "authenticity" by having no script and non-actors (or lousy actors) serves whose interests? The audiences? Certainly not.

I have a lot of tolerance for low budget production, but not when there is no redeeming positive factor. GCI is expensive, but interesting storyline, characters or dialogue are not expensive. This clunker has none.

The "alternative reality" is present alright: someone with no talent went to film school and thinks that alone will suffice. It doesn't.

A lovely small scale film with a satisfying payoff. Exactly the sort of film she excelled at. And dammit I still can't believe she's gone. She'll never make all the wonderful films she could have made over the next forty years, and I feel that loss terribly.

If you ever listen to Marc Maron's podcast, WTF, this is a movie you won't want to miss. Also for fans of the Netflix series Glow, you're already familiar with Marc's accessible, honest work on the little screen. Don't believe any of the negative reviews for this film. Marc's performance is a tour-de-force, just check out the New York Times review of this original masterpiece. It's a quirky comedy, perfect for summer. Expertly directed with a wonderful tone, the film is worth watching twice, at least. Come on people, do we all just need to keep seeing pre-awareness content out of the Marvel universe which is sucking the life force and brain cells from us all? Rally around original movies that feature real talent and genuine craftsmanship. Also Marc plays all the guitar on the soundtrack and it's nice to hear.

This movie honestly doesn't deliver any laughs within the first 45 minutes. I can laugh at just about anything, but it's a try hard movie that takes a loose "oh, I could see where that COULD be funny" and ends up delivering this steaming pile of diarrhea. If you read any other review, you see the only real reason someone would watch this is because of Marc Maron and their love of his podcast or what have you.

This is a terrific Marc Maron.vehicle. In addition to being the primary lead he also does the soundtrack which actually enhances the movie a lot. It's a funny premise, a sword that proves the South wind the Civil War, but it might throw some Americans who don't see the humor under the bus. If you have a Confederate flag in your house and it's not ironic, this film is not for you..

From the outset, I was a little nervous about how I would like this film. Marc Maron can be abrasive but I do sometimes like his comedy. I am the sort of person that used to skip his rants to get to the interview on his now famous podcast "WTF." Even that, though, I tired of so I wondered if I would be similarly motivated to eventually check out of this film.

I was in for a bit of a treat though. This film, while tapping into Marc's talents, is definitely not simply his voice thrown on the big screen. There are a lot of really great laughs, awkward moments, incredulous circumstances, and zany antics from everyone involved in this film.

The setup for the film is that a couple, Mary (Michaela Watkins, "The House") and Cynthia (Jillian Bell, "Inherent Vice"), are given a sword from the Civil War by their dead Grandfather. In a dementia scrambled note, He details a winding and contradictory narrative that ends in this thought; The sword proves the South won the war.

They end up deciding to try to sell it for an astronomical sum of money and introduce Mel (Marc Maron, "Almost Famous") and Nathaniel (Jon Bass, "Loving") into their little scheme since they know where they can find people who will believe the sword's sordid history and pay dearly for it and the light it sheds on an alternate history.

I won't get any further into the plot but the setup should be enough to see that there is a lot of opportunity for humor in this film especially with a cast that is as funny as this one. What I wasn't expecting was the layers of conversation and depth that the film was going to bring to bear on such an, on the surface at least, ridiculous premise.

For example, the women get this sword and are disgusted by the fact that their grandfather thought the South won the war, and probably along with it, a lot of other out there stuff. So they don't want it.

But they do want the money it could fetch them so they head to the pawn shop where they proceed to try to convince the owner that the sword really is the sword that should have ended the war because that would be worth more money.

The film constantly turns truth on its head like this, making fun of people who basically say and believe whatever is convenient to their ends or giving us heartfelt scenes where people are facing things from their past and how we tell ourselves stories then rewrite them in our brains to make us feel better about them not caring so much about their veracity.

This one is pretty dull from start to finish, character acting is ok, well one character (Mel) was stand out good, the rest looked like they were on a college project. The plot was lame and made no sense at all. There was no action, no comedy and that was about it. Nothing much happens. Wouldnt waste too much time on this one

Jillian Bell and Jon Bass sparkle in this rather haphazard story involving an old sword of questionable value and history.

This movie is easy to overlook due to it's quirky plot but please give it a chance as once you get involved you will stick with it. There is an overtone of danger sprinkled with understated comedy.

Indie movies always have something to offer to keep your attention. And this is one!

The Civil War --155 freaking years ago -- remains alive in the South. This middling flick plays off this sad, ridiculous situation and manages to milk it for a few laughs. (Which I think helps explain the unusually low ratings and bogus allegations about the film by some "viewers.") Marc Maron is good, the supporting caste and the story less so. If you can manage your frustration with weak characters and goofy reasoning, you can survive the film's ending.

The story is simple, but it is effective and engaging. It makes you care about the characters, and what happens to them. Moreover, it is funny as well. I enjoyed this comedy.

Some laugh out loud moments, especially early on. Ending a bit weak but still worth a look.

The mostly improvised Sword of Trust is the definition of an easy-watch that is both comedic and absurd without being too over the top in its final moments. I chuckled, laughed a bit even, and I generally had a good time with this little indie film. I'd love to see more improv-led films. The delivery of their words and reactions (no matter how ludicrous) brings with it an authenticity that is often absent in strictly scripted material.

A small town Alabama pawn shop dealer (Maron) is presented with an intriguing item one day by an incredulous couple (Bell and Watkins) - an antique sword with paperwork attesting to the "fact" that the South won the Civil War.

A strange and entertaining adventure ensues as the 3 join forces with a kid who works at the pawn shop (Bass) to try and find a high-end buyer for the unique relic from a time that didn't really even exist.

Quirky without being contrived, funny and tight (88 minutes - I saw it with a post-film Q&A where director Shelton said "a comedy should be 90 minutes"), the film serves as a tailor-made vehicle for the strengths of its main protagonist (Maron) and a small, solid supporting cast. Much of the dialogue was improvised, yet none of it feels forced, and it also manages to poke fun at the culture of "alternative facts" which is slowly seeping into all corners of society without being malicious (making one of the GOOD guys an unapologetic flat-earther helps to spread the sympathy/blame around).

Worth a watch on screens big or small. Watkins and Bell have a nice chemistry, Bass plays a simpleton a bit TOO convincingly, and, despite the fact that he regularly self-deprecates to the contrary on his podcast, Maron is really coming into his own as an actor.

"Sword Of Trust" plays with your emotions in this human dramaedy and really showcases Marc Maron's superb acting chops.

In this comedy-drama, a woman inherits an antique sword from her deceased grandfather, that is believed to be proof that the South won the Civil War.

Overall "Sword Of Trust" can be slow paced, but ultimately it features an affecting story that can resonate with everyday people. Actor and comedian Marc Maron gives an incredible and vulnerable performance that will have you thinking once the movie is done. An entertaining story with some interesting characters make this film worth the watch.

It's surprisingly deep in a VERY funny kind of way. It almost the American version of British dry humor. I gave it a 10 because I believe it takes a lot of talent to pull this off deliberately... Both in script as well casting the correct actors...

Obvious passion here from both sides of the camera. As much fun as most big budget comedies, though I'll admit the ending sort of took the easy way out.

The set-up is really funny, but the writing collapses at the point of denouement. The behavior of the characters becomes so preposterous that it destroys the comedic effect. Very disappointing.