Cage, Kidman shame critics in ‘Trespass’

There is no avoiding that in the film “Trespass” there have come together portraying husband and wife — two Hollywood old-timers who have, individually, been the subject of a lot of vitriolic press releases: critical of both their private lives and their acting ability.
It would be of great interest to know how their appearance together in this film has affected the criticism.

If it were up to me, I would exonerate them from all the backbiting talk: in this film they are winners from the word go. In fact, Academy Award material.
Nicolas Cage is a private “buy it low and sell it high” dealer of whatever he can get his hands on; jewels preferably. Married to Sara (Nicole Kidman), they have one high school age daughter, Marian (Liana Liberato)  who has discovered how to fill with mischief the hours that her parents are too busy or preoccupied to keep watch.

It is not incidental that they are residents of Shreveport, Louisiana, in America’s very Deep South.
Using ill-gotten gains and, for that matter, gains which are not entirely his they have built a home of such splendour that a view of the house is worth the price of admission to the film. And, over time, we get to see all of it.

This is because, very early in the film, the house is invaded by three vicious, masked robbers, fully believing the rumours of the home’s wealth.
Oddly, and by the film’s end I am no wiser as to their reason, they have allowed to join them in this home invasion, a female accomplice.
Unique in my film going experience, the entire plot of the film hinges on whether or not Kyle Miller (Nicolas Cage) will obey the robbers’ insistent demand that he open the safe. In the event, it is never opened.

There is added interest in a sub plot, a situation which arises and makes me wonder how frequently this may happen in American homes, now that so many of them fearing robbery hire security firms who place an armed guard on the premises. (with the husband away, will the wife play)

It is this guard, convincing himself (as many swains do) that his feelings are reciprocated, which has initiated his brother is the chief culprit the robbery, and many will leave the cinema still wondering if, indeed, there was anything in the safe worth all the brouhaha.