Trust Me (Puss)

A St. Paul Film production in colaboration with Sveriges Television, Gotlands Filmfond, Nordisk Film, Filmregion Stockholm-Malardalen and 4 1/2 Film. (Worldwide sales: Trust Nordisk, Hvidovre, Denmark.) Produced by Fredrik Heinig, Mathilde Dedye. Executive producers, Gunnar Carlsson, Bo Rehnberg, Lone Korslund, Ake Lundstrom, Karin Julsrud. Directed, put together by Johan Kling.With: Susanne Thorson, Alexander Skarsgard, Philomene Grandin, Michael Segerstrom, Lotti Tornros, Gitte Witt, Lars Bringas, Michelle Meadows, Peter Carlberg, Moa Gammel, Richard Ulfsater, Vera Vitali, Gustaf Skarsgard.After winning some acclaim for his 2007 bigscreen debut "Darling," author-director Johan Kling encounters a sophomore slump with "Trust Me.In . Still reading through the fest circuit a minimum of annually past its home-turf theatrical release, this glumly misanthropic backstage ensembler might be the kind of enterprise one suspects amused its makers really computer ever will any needing to pay clients. Thesp Alexander Skarsgard's rising worldwide star should help snag some home-format sales. The youngish people from the theater company introduced by author-director Katja (Susanne Thorson) are practicing her latest play, but she seems really the only person truly devoted to your time and energy. Everyone else is bored, lazy, predatory, pathetic and/or possibly a liar, with just about all people terms highly relevant to Katja's b.f. Alex (Skarsgard), who's likely to uncover he's heavy-laden another company member (Philomene Grandin). Other styles associated with less-than-amusing hijinks are the resident Don Juan (Lars Bringas), the lone plus-sized female (Lotti Tornros) as well as the peeping-tom landlord (Michael Segerstrom) anxious to evict these for murky reasons. Within the final stretch, the pic tries a turn toward the nice cozy and fuzzy via enhanced romantic prospects and justice properly meted out. But it's far too little, too far gone following a lot time spent with dully unsympathetic figures in quasi-farcical situations missing of fizz. A soundtrack filled with retro jazz attempts to pressure some jauntiness into the proceedings, to little avail. People who eventually rent "Believe MeInch (initially entitled "Puss," or "Hug") to feast their eyes on "True Blood's" Skarsgard will feel no less than partly compensated the actor briefly temps clad only in the towel, a revealing kimono. Artists are competent if hardly challenged. Packaging is clever enough.Camera (color), Jakob Ihre editors, Johan Soderberg, Patrik Gyllstrom production designer, Roger Rosenberg costume designer, Anna Grenas. Examined on DVD, San Francisco Bay Area, March. 12, 2011. (In Mill Valley Film Festival -- World Cinema.) Running time: 119 MIN. Contact the number newsroom at news@variety.com