Flyway Film Festival 2009

More of a "concert film" for the improv than a formal documentary, Trust Us, This Is All Made Up may find its most rewarding views in the eyes of folks who question the spontaneous nature of this particular genre of comedy performance. With Trust Us, director Alex Karpovsky really allows his subjects, improv comedians T.J. Jagodowski and Dave Pasquesi, to control their time on screen as most of the film's 83 minutes are taken up by a performance the duo put on in New York City. However, it's Karpovsky who has full range over the documentary, and his careful editing manages to capture the subtle pause in Pasquesi's dialogue, the hint of confusion in Jagodoski's eyes, and any number of idiosyncratic body movements that are telltale signs that the performance by the comedians truly is made up on the spot.