Patrick Stewart Brings Comedy, Drama and Danger to ‘Match’ Trailer (Video)

Stewart is brilliantly eccentric with dark secrets and a deep sadness in Stephen Belber’s film adaptation of his Broadway play

Patrick Stewart is a tour de force in Stephen Belber’s “Match,” and it only takes a two-minute trailer to see it.  The writer and director adapted his Broadway play for the screen, pitting Stewart against Matthew Lillard and Carla Gugino. It quickly becomes clear in the trailer for the film that this is a project with passion, heart and very strong performances.

A veteran of stage and screen, the 74-year-old Stewart flits from manic and delighted to morose and even menacing at times. This is a complicated role in a complicated story, and yet he appears to have mastered its subtle nuances.

At first, it appears that Gugino and Lillard, who play a married couple in the film, are just interested in Stewart’s character as a dance instructor and artist. But a darker truth emerges as the trailer and film progress. A truth we’re not yet privy to.

Without giving too much away about the film, the trailer does reveal that Lillard is a cop and he’s asking questions about a particular period of time in Stewart’s past. Why remains murky, as does the burgeoning relationship bewteen Stewart and Gugino.

Ultimately, the trailer makes this look like a performance piece for the three actors, with Stewart’s secret past the lynchpin of their relationship. The twists and turns are kept hidden, but with performances as compelling as we see in two short minutes, “Match” looks like a movie worth seeking out.

“Match” was produced by David Permut, Matt Ratner and Rick Rosenthal. IFC Films will release the film to theaters on Wednesday, Jan. 14 and on VOD Friday, Jan. 16.

Watch the full trailer here.

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