"True Story," adapted from the memoir of former New York Times writer Michael Finkel, illustrates a struggle for the truth amid a body of lies.
The story begins with Finkel, played by Jonah Hill, creating a composite figure in a story about African slave trade. When he is exposed for his lies, he is stripped of his journalistic reputation and out of a dream job.
Shortly after, he discovered a fugitive named Christian Longo used Michael Finkel as an alias during his fleet to Mexico. Police authorities suspected Longo, played by James Franco, of murdering his wife and three children in Oregon.
The movie felt like a ticking time bomb. With its eerie vibe and Longo’s unnaturally calm demeanor, viewers are left feeling like a grenade is around the corner with every scene change.
Finkel is prompted to meet with Longo so he can answer his long line of "why" questions. Longo’s story is a web of lies and it wraps Finkel up in its silky bondage. At one point, Finkel may even think Longo is innocent. It is clear Finkel feels that if he can unravel the murder mystery, he can begin to understand why he lied in his piece for the Times.
Finkel also sees this as an opportunity to polish his tarnished reputation. His insight into Longo scored him a book deal with Harper Collins.
Hill and Franco appeared in the film, but they left their infamous humor at home. It wasn’t hard to detach from their comic reputations as they maintained a downright creepy vibe through each of their scenes together. Their friendship in real life actually reflected a more natural bond on the big screen. Franco delivered a haunting performance where he always looked dead in the eyes, like a true killer.
It is a lesson on the role of the truth and how it is played in different aspects of life. The life of a person on death row is an interesting event to portray as a celebrity affair because it relies on the facts.
The actors delivered the cold-blooded performance of the truth behind a killer on death row. Hollywood movies fudge the truth at times with a "based on a true story" subtitle. "True Story" didn't feel like it was based on a true story; it felt raw and, at times, like a documentary.
The strangest part of the movie appeared in the closing credits when a title card revealed that Longo and Finkel still speak once a month. By the end of the movie, it had seemed as though Finkel built serious angst and regret toward Longo, telling him he would expose every possible lie to ensure his incarceration.
In the end, the two deviants feed off each other to obtain the most beneficial results to their reputations. Finkel gets all the money and fame that follow a giant book deal. Longo gets to feed his narcissism because his story is out there for the world to read.
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