TRUE CRIME (1999)
A Film Review
Copyright Dragan Antulov 2004
Every now and then, Hollywood filmmakers like to remind critics
(and, to a lesser degree, audiences) that they don't care only about
money and that at least some tiny part of all those billions of dollars
snatched at the box office can be put to some good use. This happens
in the form of films that try to advocate certain noble causes that
happen to be fashionable among Hollywood's leftist establishment.
In case of TRUE CRIME, 1999 drama directed by Clint Eastwood, this
noble cause is the abolition of death penalty.
The plot, based on the novel by Andrew Klavan, revolves around
Steve "Ev" Everett (played by Clint Eastwood), Oakland Tribune
reporter and recovering alcoholic whose career and marriage suffer
because of his chain-smoking and constant womanising. Everett is
given seemingly routine assignment - he must cover the last hours in
life of Frank Louis Beachum (played by Isaiah Washington), black
man condemned to death over murder of pregnant white woman.
When Everett interviews Beachum, born-again Christian and
dedicated family man, his journalistic instinct tells him that the
innocent man might be put to death. With only few hours to go,
Everett tries to dig enough evidence to prevent Beachum's execution.
Eastwood is one of the most experienced Hollywood actors and his
years behind the camera are not less impressive. So, it is quite natural
that TRUE CRIME is well-directed and well-acted film. Plot revolves
smoothly and the pacing is deliberately slow, thus allowing
characters to develop and many great actors, like Denis Leary, James
Woods or Diane Venora, to show their formidable skills, usually
underused in other Hollywood films.
But this isn't enough for TRUE CRIME to overcome its main problem
- the script. In an attempt to advocate their anti-death penalty views
to the audience, scriptwriters discard any subtlety and use all cliches
and stereotypes possible. In the world of TRUE CRIME all death row
inmates are black and, naturally, innocent, which should be obvious
even to the viewers who don't have perceptive abilities of this film's
protagonist. Death row inmate in this film is presented as the
embodiment of angelic virtue and family values, while the system
that tries to put him to death is full of closet racists, sadists and
hypocrites. The real world is, of course, much more complex than
that. With slightly less angelic death row inmate - for example,
someone with the history of violence and spousal abuse - TRUE
CRIME could have been much more convincing. Any shred of
credibility is lost in the film's ending, which employs the very
scenario that was ridiculed in Robert Altman's PLAYER. Unlike
DEAD MAN WALKING, which tried to approach controversial issue
of death penalty with more realism and objectivity, TRUE CRIME
shows that noble intentions, even when backed by extraordinary
talents, aren't enough for good film.
RATING: 4/10 (+)
Review written on October 5th 2004
Dragan Antulov a.k.a. Drax
http://film.purger.com - Filmske recenzije na hrvatskom/Movie Reviews in
Croatian
http://www.ofcs.org - Online Film Critics Society
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