'True Story': The Lifetime Movie Staring Hollywood Actors

There is something to be said about our culture being addicted to true stories. Especially when they involve scandals and murders. From Dateline NBC, Nancy Grace and most recently The Jinx: The Life And Deaths of Robert Durst. There are also the made for TV Movies that Lifetime produces. Even though True Story would have been great as a Lifetime movie of the month, it is on the big screen. The film stars Jonah Hill (Superbad, Moneyball, The Wolf of Wall Street) and James Franco (This is The End, 127 Hours, Spring Breakers, Instagram feeds), as well It is the Directorial Debut for Rupert Goold for this true story. 

Based on a true story, the films opens up with booth characters at their low points in life. Christian Longo (James Franco) is on the run from the law, is then captured and put in police custody. Michael Finkel (Jonah Hill) is a New Yorks Times reporter that has written an article, which the truth of the story is called into question, because Finkel has created a fabricated story. He is than fired from his job and decides to take some time off to find himself. He finds himself and his next story about a prisoner who has taken on his identity, Michael Finkel AKA Christian Longo. This is when these two men meet and Michael Finkel decides to write Christian Longo's story. As much as the story wants to be the whole truth, Longo sets up Finkel in an emotional game of web of lies. There are many versions to the story of Longo's murders pre-trial, trail and post trail. When the film concludes we have a sense of what to believe and what has been fabricated in a powerful final confrontation between Finkel and Longo. Some audience members might be left to question what if Finkel's judgement about Longo is wrong, because after all Finkel has embellished stories in the past. 

Now for the hard hitting truth after the evidence has been presented. Rupert Goold directorial debut plays more like a Lifetime movie of the month, seen on the big screen due to it's Hollywood actors. Some of the camera work is jarring due to a shaky cam aesthetic that Paul Greengrass is known for in his movies. Yes it gives a somewhat atmospheric  sense of reality but this is not a true story of a plane or boat hijacking. There is no need for this camera work during a office meeting. James Franco  eases himself into the role of Christian Longo because for Franco, playing another shady character is a leisure stroll in the park. As for Jonah Hill taking on the dramatic roll, he tries his best to be the serious reporter instead of the funny character, but  overkills some of the scenes with over dramatizations of physical outbursts, that accompany his fake glasses. 

2 Fake Jonah Hill Glasses/ 5 Shady James Franco Characters.