Just when it looked like the romantic comedy was doomed to forever repeat itself in some kind of formulaic purgatory, along comes filmmaker Bart Freudlich with "Trust the Man," a smart, sharply observed, highly affable look at contemporary relationships that finally injects a little life in the stagnating genre. Working with a beautifully in-sync comic ensemble including Julianne Moore, David Duchovny, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Billy Crudup, Freundlich, who's Moore's husband, delivers what is by far his most accessible -- and most satisfying -- film to date. Fox Searchlight, which picked up the film midfestival, could have a tidy little hit on its hands, appealing to a grown-up audience hankering for something adult without the "Wedding Crashers"/"40 Year Old Virgin" frat boy vibe.

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