In Lynn Shelton’s new movie ‘Sword of Trust,’ Marc Maron plays Mel, a cranky, down-on-his-luck pawn shop owner in Alabama. Mel has been around, but even he doesn’t know what to make of a sword that Cynthia, played by Jillian Bell, and her partner Mary, played by Michaela Watkins, bring in to his shop. They claim it belonged to Cynthia’s recently deceased grandfather--and that it dates from the Civil War--though they have a hard time pinning down exactly which battle.
Mel doesn’t buy their story, but then he finds out that some potential customers are very interested in the sword for very strange reasons.
Lynn Shelton’s earlier work includes ‘Hump Day’ and ‘Your Sister’s Sister.’ As with those films, much of the dialogue in ‘Sword of Trust’ is improvised. Maron is a veteran stand up comedian and podcaster with some improv experience and enough experience working with Shelton to trust her with ‘Sword of Trust.’
They tell us about making the movie in 12 days in Alabama last year, and about shooting an extended, improvised, soul-baring monologue in the back of a sweltering box truck...for nine hours. And Maron swears he’s not a diva on set...but he does now understand how easy it might be to become one.
