True Story (2015) Directed by Rupert Goold. Starring: James Franco, Jonah Hill, Felicity Jones. IMDB says: “When disgraced New York Times reporter Michael Finkel meets accused killer Christian Longo – who has taken on Finkel’s identity – his investigation morphs into a game of cat-and-mouse.”
True Story tells the real life tale of Michael Finkel, a former journalist of the New York Times, and Christian Longo, a man arrested for the murder of his wife and children. They come together when Finkel is informed that this accused killer was going by his identity while he was on the lamb. Finkel is in great need of a fresh start in his career and realizes this is one golden opportunity of a lead. Finkel meets Longo while he’s in prison awaiting trial and through frequent meetings and letters, they learn a great deal about each other, and become far more invested in each other’s lives than either could have imagined.
I was familiar with the ins and outs of this story for awhile now, so nothing in it was truly revelatory, but it remained very interesting all the same. A true crime story with a journalist entangled in the proceedings is right up my alley (as you can guess, I was a huge fan of Serial). There is a bit of a made-for-TV vibe with True Story because it really is a fairly straightforward retelling. It has the limitations of what happened in reality to reign in the movie where it could have gone full thriller. They try to put small moments in here or there that may feel a bit psychologically thrilling, but nothing that’s actually very exciting (and a few moments that were just bad).
Finkel and Longo are portrayed by Jonah Hill and James Franco, and both give solid performances. It certainly helped to sell the idea that these two characters find an instant connection when the actors already have such a familiarity. I do wonder if they were drawn to this project in particular because of each other’s involvement. Felicity Jones is the only other major cast member, playing Finkel’s wife. It’s somewhat refreshing that she wasn’t just the mindless supporter of her husband as I first thought, but someone who is quite analytical of the strange situation and provides some significant insight during the film.
True Story shows the fascinating way real life can put you in outlandish circumstances and how you can identify with the weirdest of individuals. That’s why the title fits – you really would have a hard time believing that this would happen outside a fictional movie. It’s not the most entertaining movie possible because of the restraints of real life, but I think it’s captivating enough for a watch at home.
True Story is currently in theaters nationwide.