Sword of Trust

Directed by Lynn Shelton, Sword of Trust follows cantankerous pawn-shop owner Mel (Marc Maron) as he and his dimwitted assistant (Jon Bass’ Nathaniel) work with two customers (Jillian Bell’s Cynthia and Michaela Watkins’ Mary) to sell a controversial Civil War-era relic. Filmmaker Shelton, working from a script written with Mike O’Brien, delivers an exceedingly low-key comedy that does, at the outset, benefit substantially from Maron’s captivating, lived-in performance, as the actor’s continually engrossing turn goes a long way towards establishing (and maintaining) the picture’s affably small-scale environment. It’s just as clear, though, that Sword of Trust‘s unapologetically meandering sensibilities prevent it from becoming as entertaining and engaging as one might’ve hoped, while the ongoing emphasis on obviously-improvised encounters and interludes contributes heavily to the movie’s hit-and-miss atmosphere (ie there are too many moments in which performers are obviously making it up as they go along) – which ultimately cements the movie’s place as a watchably erratic endeavor.

**1/2 out of ****