True Story

Starring: Jonah Hill, James Franco, Felicity Jones, Maria Dizzia, Ethan Suplee
Directed by: Rupert Goold
Rating: R
Genre: Drama, Mystery
2015

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A disgraced New York Times reporter (Jonah Hill) befriends an accused murderer (James Franco) who had stolen his identity.

Review:

Tim: Even though most critics took a harsh view of True Story, I found it to be a worthwhile, entertaining film. You could say I bucked the trend somewhat on this one. While I didn't love the film, I thought it did enough to be considered a success.

One of the best parts about this film is the opportunity to see Jonah Hill and James Franco together in a film that's not a comedy at all. I really appreciated both actors (who've done more comedy than drama) getting away from their comfort zone and giving us something slightly unexpected. It is still a bit hard for me to believe Hill and Franco made a true-life, serious crime drama. That gave the film just a bit of a novelty feel to it.

I thought the story was interesting, especially as it defies a certain amount of credulity. The film starts with Hill's character being disgraced and fired for unethical journalism. Then we meet James Franco's accused murderer, on the run in Mexico, claiming to be that same disgraced journalist. It's all a bit odd, especially when the two come together and form this unlikely relationship. While it's a crazy story, you have to believe it because it's all based on actual events. That gave the movie this must-see quality- the story was so unexpected, I was very curious to see where it would go and how it would all be resolved.

The cast was fine, but I don't believe anyone was giving truly great performances here. It was fun to see Franco and Hill in these serious, dramatic roles. Now, I know both actors are much more than just comedy actors. They've both done a number of dramatic films in recent years. However, they've still known for their comedy, especially when you pair them together. I thought Hill was strong as the protagonist. He never quite established an emotional connection with the audience, but he was a complex character and I was intrigued by his story. Franco probably hammed it up just a bit too much as Christian Longo, but he didn't let it get out of control. There were a number of very strong moments for Franco, and then there were a number of moments where his performance came across as very weak. The best moments of the film are when Hill and Franco interact. I did love the casting of Felicity Jones, although her performance is mostly a thankless one. I really feel like Jones will be a major Hollywood star soon, so it's fun seeing these early roles as she builds her resume and hones her craft. She fortunately gets a few great scenes to showcase her talent. Unfortunately, we don't get as much time with her as we'd like.

Now, I know a majority of critics didn't like this movie. It certainly will never compare to the greatest true crime movies- it's not even close. There's not really a big state of suspense here- whether Longo killed his family or not never really mattered all that much to me. He certainly seemed guilty of something. I never felt any tension about the resolution of the story- I suppose I was fairly interested to see how it all turned out, but I was definitely not on the edge of my seat. For this film to achieve more of its potential, it desperately needed to establish more of an emotional connection with the characters and create a more memorable final courtroom scene.

So, while True Story is certainly flawed, it still held my attention throughout its 99 minute run time. I was interested in the characters and wanted to see how it all turned out. It tells an interesting true story and it was worth my time.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: True Crime