True Story is based on the true story (never would have seen that coming) of Christian Longo. I have seen Jonah Hill and James Franco take on non- comedic roles before and i know they are great at what they do, especially Franco. I never would have expected the duo who interacted in This is the End to take on these roles, especially together. The trailer was great and i was on board although early reviews made it seem like maybe i wouldn't be able to take them seriously. Well my worries were put to rest and i will explain exactly what my thoughts are.
Jonah Hill plays Mike Finkel of the New York Times. When he is fired for making things up in his article for dramatic effect he receives a mysterious phone call and finds out convicted murderer Christian Longo (James Franco) has been using his identity. This leads Finkel to meet Longo in prison who asks him to publish his side of the story. Finkel starts to believe that Longo could be more innocent than he seems, but is this the case? That is one of the things i really like about this film.
The performance from James Franco is so captivating and you can tell he has done his research. Franco manages to give Longo such a mysterious vibe that almost draws comparisons to Billy Bob Thornton's portrayal of Lorne Malvo in Fargo. A great performance from Jonah Hill also lets you see through his eyes. You feel like you are in his situation as Finkel and you start to see why he would believe that Longo could potentially be innocent, but you never know for sure because such a convincing performance is given. James Franco previously played another 'real life' person Aron Ralston in 127 hours, he is so good at these roles and like that performance you see how isolated this person is, except in a different way. Felicity Jones also gives a standout performance among a film that already features a performance of that status. She plays Finkel's wife Jill who you can see is slowly descending into a depression as a result of her husband's involvement with such a dangerous man.
Sadly, there is not much to say about True Story. It's a crime/mystery 'thriller' (labeling this a thriller is questionable) that plays out just as you would expect. There were far too few surprises to speak of, which the movie seemed to be moving toward. Everything here felt like 'the calm before the storm' but when it came time for the storm, there was nothing there. The story in itself is quite interesting, a murder taking on the identity of a writer which leads to the two interacting and trying to determine the motive behind such a weird act. But nothing ever comes of it, at least nothing interesting or thought provoking. True Story is a straightforward crime drama that finishes as a courtroom drama.
There are times True Story comes off as little more than a made for TV movie, but the best moments more than make up for it, and Franco's portrayal will stick with you long after Finkel finally understands who and what he is dealing with. It's also a reminder that there are people who "want the truth so badly" they "will lie to get it". The story is simply not as interesting as it sounds. Honestly, it's no ones fault. The direction by first timer Rupert Goold is solid, well paced, and true to the story. The acting is good, in the end, the build up leads to very little. The ride was interesting but the destination was a big disappointment.
6.6/10·IMDb
45%·Rotten Tomatoes
50%·Metacritic
6/10 - verdict
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