It may have been
an odd choice to cast two leads better known for their comedic connections in
film, but the true crime of True Story
is the feeling that both actors are much better than their performances in
these roles. Jonah Hill has tackled dramatic roles with critical praise in
recent history, but doesn’t seem quite capable of making this unlikable
protagonist worth watching for the brief running time. And James Franco is
merely sleepwalking through his performance, nearly as bored as the audience
waiting for the twists and turns of suspense which never arrive.
The film is
framed as a thriller, which is entirely misleading. Although the screenplay
sets the film up with a mystery to draw the audience in, it becomes clear by
the third act that the answer to this minor curiosity is insignificant and ends
up dismissed without clear explanation. This is a clear-cut crime drama, but
even that approach is not taken to the material thanks to the preoccupation
with the narcissistic author of the book that the film is about and based on.
Even though the sentiment that journalist Michael Finkel (Hill) will be best
known for talking to accused murderer Christian Longo (Franco) is the final
note of Rupert Goold’s film, the filmmaker forces the audience to endure far
more of this author than his subject.
In a desperate
attempt to make thematic connections between the two men, True Story begins with Finkel being fired from The New York Times for embellishing and falsifying some of the facts
for his latest story. As we have seen in recent events, one of the worst things
a journalist can be known for is lying, but Finkel sees an opportunity to save
his own career when a brutal murderer is caught in Mexico
Director and co-writer Goold is best known
for his theater work, with True Story
being his feature-film directorial debut. This actually seems as though it
would be a good match, since a majority of the film’s crucial action is simply
two men talking to each other in a visiting room, but neither of these
characters or the dialogue they speak is ever compelling enough to warrant
spending time with them. Only the promise of truth will keep audiences
interested, and even that is more tragic than entertaining. It is the
equivalent of looking at a car wreck while passing through the traffic it
caused; as if curiosity is the only small reward for patience in an unpleasant
situation. There is no actual pleasure in the revelations, making one wonder
what the point of making the film was in the first place.
The Blu-ray
release includes a handful of extras, including an insignificant alternate
ending along with additional deleted scenes. There are also four featurettes;
one for each of the men at the center of the story, another for the true story
the film was adapted from, and a generic making-of featurette. Also included is
a commentary track with Goold and a production gallery. The Blu-ray release
also comes with a digital HD copy of the film.
Entertainment Value:
6.5/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 6.5/10
Historical
Significance: 4/10
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