Starring: Jonah Hill, James Franco, Felicity Jones
True Story
Director: Rupert Goold
Rating: 2.5/5
Jonah Hill and James Franco are two of cinema's biggest names and are set to reunite this week with new film True Story; which is the first collaboration between the pair since This Is The End.
True Story marks the feature film directorial debut for Rupert Goold - who makes the leap from television for the first time - as they tell the true story of Michael Finkel and Christian Longo.
When disgraced New York Times reporter Michael Finkel (Hill) meets accused killer Christian Longo (Franco) - who has taken on Finkel's identity - his investigation morphs into an unforgettable game of cat-and-mouse. Based on actual events, Finkel's relentless pursuit of Longo's true story encompasses murder, love, deceit, and redemption.
The main strength of True Story are the central performances from Jonah Hill and James Franco as Michael Finkel and Christian Longo and it is this central relationship that really drives the movie.
Together they craft an interesting duo - they are both frauds and perhaps have more in common than they first realise. Clearly, Hill and Franco trust one another and that is why this central relationship works so well.
Hill really does shine as he gets under the skin of the rather complex Finkel, while Franco creepy charms as Longo really will make your skill crawl.
However, it is the story itself that really lets Hill and Franco down as it fails to live up to the performances that they give. The main issue with this muddled script is that if fails to build the tension and suspense that is needed to really hold the attention of the audience.
There is a hint of a cat and mouse chase between these two characters but it never really develops into a crime - and eventual courtroom - drama that keeps the audience on the edge of their seat.
You can see what director Rupert Goold is trying to achieve with True Story, not only does he give us a look into the worlds of journalism and the justice system, but he also wants to explore the mind of a journalist.
While you can see that this is what he is trying to achieve, he doesn't quite achieve it in a way that is compelling for an audience. You do wonder what kind of movie would have been created with a more experienced filmmaker.
Don't get me wrong, True Story is by no means a terrible movie - it is worth a watch for the central performances of Hill and Franco alone - but you leave the film thinking it could have achieved so much more.
There's no denying that there are some fascinating elements to True Story and great single scenes - particularly between Hill and Franco - but it ultimately never builds to anything, which is a real shame.
True Story is out now.
Tagged in James Franco Jonah Hill