Trust Us, This Is All Made Up

Two brilliant improvisers in top form
I saw this film in a screening. I've been a TJ and Dave fan for a long time, so my primary concern was that the film would faithfully capture the magic of this remarkable team. It does.

Without prior consultation, the guys (both Second City alumni) start a dialogue as soon as the lights go up. As they play, they discover who they are and what the story is. For those who know improvisation, this is work on a high level. The swiftness and subtlety of their agreement is breathtaking, and the observations of human behavior are unclouded by improv cliche. While nothing can replace the thrill of seeing these guys live, being able to go back and watch how they build this particular performance step-by-step offers lessons in craftsmanship that students of acting and writing will profit from. Combine this with Scott Silberstein's SECOND TO NONE, and you have the best representation of improvisation on video that I know of.

Trust Me, This Documentary Is Fabulous
If you're a fan of TJ and Dave, then you'll appreciate the skillful way Trust Us... captures the genius of their completely improvised show on film.

If you're not familiar with TJ and Dave, I guarantee you'll be awestruck after watching them in action.

The duo are masters of improvisation - but not just because they are funny. It's because they are so real in their performances. In fact, it is the trust they have with one another (so evident in the film), which makes their one-of-a-kind show possible.

Both men are seasoned improvisers, but not seen on film as often as some of their contemporaries (Dave played Stew in Strangers With Candy, and TJ can be seen in Stranger Than Fiction and Sonic commercials, among other things). It's a delight therefore, to see them getting the respect they deserve for their craft.

awesome!
I am a new improviser and I thought this was just awesome to watch. I loved the way they were able to stick to character's even when they were switching them with each other. Just a great tool for learning how to Improv. I love the last few lines of the movie as well and it just gives a whole new insight into the process and mindset that improvisers take. Awesome!!!

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