Sword of Trust

An improv comedy is only as good as its talent, and Sword of Trust (2019) unfortunately doesn't have the comedic power to justify any bit of its story. It feels less like the sparring of timing and wordplay that the greats of this genre, such as Clerks and The 40 Year Old Virgin, excel at, and more of the cinematic equivalent of showing up to your friend's comedy set at an open mic, and suffering through comedic misfires in an act of feigned loyalty.

The story is very loose and follows four misfits in their quest to sell a Civil War sword to conspiracy wackjobs that believe the South won the war. As is typical with this sort of comedy, the plot is secondary and is just used as a narrative vehicle to get us some face time with these characters. This sentiment is carried over into the filmmaking itself, which goes for a more naturalistic "fly on the wall" feel, but misses in that regard, feeling more like a labor of laziness than a stylistic choice.

Unfortunately, these characters are not worth the light narrative focus. For the most part, these leads don't have the comedic chops or improvisational skills to make these conversational sidebars feel like anything more than a waste of time. There is the occasional beat of genuine comedy, and these all come from Marc Maron. His sort of inherent fed up-ness definitely feels at home in this world, and maybe it's just my love for his style of comedy, but the scenes he leads are by far the least excruciating to sit through.

But what really makes Sword of Trust all the more infuriating, is the potential we are tantalized with. The subject matter, mainly revolving around the lunacy of modern-day Alex Jones type conspiracy wackos, is one that appeals to me. The setting, the characters, and the plot itself all lend itself for some pretty great opportunity to satirize (or at the very least) play with these ideas, but the film constantly ignores these opportunities and insists on bringing the "comedy" to the forefront. It's that comedic bait and switch that left a taste in my mouth that's probably worse than it actually is.

As I stated before, die-hard Maron fans might enjoy 90 minutes of his typical curmudgeon-y self, but outside a few scenes ripe for his acting reel, there's not much here that you can't find eavesdropping on a bunch of dorks at your local coffee establishment.