True Story
Directed by: Rupert Goold
Written by: Rupert Goold and David Kajganich - Based on the Book by Michael Finkel
Starring: Jonah Hill, James Franco, Felicity Jones, Robert John Burke, Gretchen Mol, Ethan Suplee
Drama/Mystery/Thriller - 100 min Reviewed by Charlie Juhl on 15 Apr 2015
Written by: Rupert Goold and David Kajganich - Based on the Book by Michael Finkel
Starring: Jonah Hill, James Franco, Felicity Jones, Robert John Burke, Gretchen Mol, Ethan Suplee
Drama/Mystery/Thriller - 100 min Reviewed by Charlie Juhl on 15 Apr 2015
There are a million true crime stories with a twist floating around out there. When done right, many of them would probably make an effective movie; True Story is not one of them. James Franco and Jonah Hill have the Hollywood smash to make whatever movie they want; why choose a story which lacks a ‘wow’? True Story delivers more of a ‘meh’. There is a crime, a mystery, and a trial, but there is no reason to care. We don’t care about the alleged criminal, we don’t care about the journalist gathering his story, and we don’t care about the film as a whole. All build up and no ‘ah-ha’ moment makes us all dull boys.
You saw them fight and squabble together in This is the End (2013) and now, James Franco and Jonah Hill are on opposite sides of jailhouse glass. Christian Longo (Franco) is accused of brutally murdering his wife and three small children. While on the lam, he used the alias of a New York Times journalist, Michael Finkel (Hill, 2014’s 22 Jump Street). Responding to one’s natural curiosity of why someone would pick you as their alias, Mike travels to Oregon to interview Christian and gets wrapped up in the whole mess: the background, the incident, and the prospect of death row.
You saw them fight and squabble together in This is the End (2013) and now, James Franco and Jonah Hill are on opposite sides of jailhouse glass. Christian Longo (Franco) is accused of brutally murdering his wife and three small children. While on the lam, he used the alias of a New York Times journalist, Michael Finkel (Hill, 2014’s 22 Jump Street). Responding to one’s natural curiosity of why someone would pick you as their alias, Mike travels to Oregon to interview Christian and gets wrapped up in the whole mess: the background, the incident, and the prospect of death row.
Did Christian do it? The entire world seems to think so but is this soft-spoken, contemplative, sad-eyed prisoner really a family murdering monster? Mike has his doubts. To the chagrin of his wife, Jill (Felicity Jones, 2014’s The Theory of Everything), Mike dives in head first into Christian’s world. In exchange for exclusive rights to his story, Mike promises to give Christian tips on effective writing. Christian explains to Mike he picked his name because he’s followed his career as a reporter and loves his articles.
Mike’s role as a respected journalist is a film subplot. Busted going above and beyond the facts in his most recent New York Times magazine article, Mike is on the outs in the reporter business. Nobody returns his calls, he’s stuck back home in out of the action Montana, and Christian almost feels like a gift from above. It’s up to the audience to judge the ethics of Mike’s aggressive acceptance of an accused quadruple murderer and how fast he runs with it. Scoring a book deal as the only reporter allowed close to the story just might salvage Mike’s career, that is, if Christian can truly be counted on.
Based on the actual memoir written by Michael Finkel about the episode, the entire narrative behind True Story is not a rollercoaster ride nor is it a nail biting did he or didn’t he do it mystery. Sure, I wanted to know as much as the next guy what happened to Christian, but the lack of suspense generated by the film is odd. Directed by a first time feature film director, Rupert Goold, he tells more than shows. Mike and Christian spend a lot of time at the table staring into each other’s eyes, but it’s just telling. Furthermore, James Franco and Jonah Hill are too famous to play their characters. Not for one second did I watch Christian and Mike go back and forth. All I saw was James Franco and Jonah Hill talking to each other.
Thank goodness for Felicity Jones. Her presence as Jill is limited but every time she appears, usually anxious and uncertain about her husband, she delivers a completely believable and impressive performance. She also acts as a much needed voice of reason. Mike loses his objectivity. Whether or not Christian committed the crimes, Mike would not be able to reasonably judge because he unwittingly puts blinders on. Christian’s truth or lies may impact book sales. Jill speaks for the audience. The subject matter is gruesome. Anyone who is the parent of young children should stay far away from any theater screening True Story. There are scenes no parent will want to witness.
A film like True Story relies on the climax. Well over an hour is spent building up the characters, the stories, the macabre details. We need the earth shattering boom. What we get is the rug pulled out from underneath us. Just because it is true does not make it a good movie. Franco and Hill most likely read complex characters on the page, but the director was not up to the task of translating it to film. Felicity Jones and her handful of minutes on screen easily overshadow the hour and a half of Franco and Hill time. If you are a true crime aficionado, move on to the next one.
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