FilmBuff1994 True Crime is a very mediocre film with a reasonably developed storyline and a terrific cast. The performances are certainly the highlight, the characterization for the majority of cast members is superb, with some very inspired acting from Clint Eastwood playing a character very different from his usual roles, the best scenes were the ones between him and Isaiah Washington, they are intense, emotional and the only parts that gave me any bit of a thrill. It shouldn't have been advertised as a thriller or a mystery, it shouldn't have been given the name True Crime, because with those genres and that title attached to it, you're going to expect to be put at the edge of your seat, some high level intensity with many exciting moments, and none of that is evident here, it mostly consists of the characters, normally just two, in a room together, talking, whether or not the performances are good, there comes a time when this simply becomes boring. There isn't as much conflict as there should be in this film either, Eastwood's character always has hope that he will crack this case, there's never really a moment where he loses it, a scene where he hits rock bottom and it dosen't seem like there's any way he can come out of it, this should be evident in every movie, but Eastwood seems to get his way far too often that it is unrewarding once the conflict is resolved in the end. Terrific performances sadly aren't enough to save a boring movie, and I wouldn't recommend True Crime to anyone. A journalist comes across new evidence that helps a man on death row. Best Performance: Clint Eastwood Worst Performance: Denis Leary

Desertman84 True Crime is a mystery dramatic film starred and directed by Clint Eastwood.It was based on Andrew Klavan's 1997 novel of the same title. Clint Eastwood also stars in the film as a journalist covering the execution of a death row inmate, only to discover that the convict may actually be innocent, together with Isaiah Washington,Denis Leary,Lisa Gay Hamilton and James Woods.In the story,Steve Everett is an Oakland journalist recovering from alcoholism, given the task of covering the execution of convicted murderer Frank Beechum. Everett discovers that Beechum might be innocent, but has only a few hours to prove his theory and save Beechum's life. Eventually Steve learns that a young man named Warren, who was stabbed to death three years previously, killed the victim but is unable to prove it. After seeing a necklace belonging to the victim on TV, Steve remembers Warren's grandmother wearing it when he visited her, and he returns to her house, where she has come to the same realization about the murder and rushes off with Steve to alert the governor as the execution starts. They reach the governor and tell him what they know and he calls the prison and pardons Frank just in time to save his life.True Crime is another film that could be classified as a Dirty Harry film wherein the movie presents a flawed anti-hero who comes through in the end.Although the viewer would suspect what would become of the movie from the beginning especially with Eastwood starring and directing the movie,it was still handled professionally and magnificently.Although it was definitely not one of his best works due to its formulaic plot and somewhat predictable events that are to come,it was still an above average film.Although the mystery does not succeed,the study of character of the protagonist makes up for it.

secondtake True Crime (1999)This is a pretty good story in some ways, and it's filmed with solid professional force. There are some good side characters, a strong central them, and a great clock-is-ticking scenario, as is often the case with death row dramas. It'll make you sympathize correctly, and hope to the end for a miracle. For the result, you'll have to watch it. The title, True Crime, has more nuance than the movie, however. If the implication is that the system is criminal, or the idea of the death penalty, this isn't really worked with. It's simply played up in the expected (very expected) ways. Still, the facts follow with good logic, and if you can ignore the canned relationship problems, and a tossed-in cute daughter who serves as a comic and sentimental distraction, the basic plot of a reporter with a nose for injustice works.But I'm trying to avoid saying this is a mediocre and sometimes aggravating film. It is overly calculated to be a last minute death row cliff hanger. And if you've seen Clint Eastwood movies in general, you'll see some familiar threads, like the old man hitting on young women who seem to enjoy it (and this is the character they enjoy, not the movie star, who probably would have luck with women like this), with no sense of moving the plot forward. So it ends up being an action adventure male fantasy movie, where the down-on-his-luck cop/reporter/whatever (in this case a reporter) has to come to the aid of the otherwise hapless world. This is enough sometimes, but I've been there too many times before, and often with Eastwood at the helm (he directed, too), and I'm tired of it.

dunmore_ego TRUE CRIME has the potential to be a powerful thought experiment, exploring the psychology behind the perception of what True Crime truly is. Aside from implicit racism, no real issues are broached in this dialog-driven Clint Eastwood actioner. From an Andrew Klaven novel, TRUE CRIME is merely the tale of a wrongly-convicted murderer on death row, Frank Beechum (played stolidly by Isaiah Washington) and curmudgeon reporter, Steve Everett's (Eastwood) 11th-hour hunt for the truth to grant his stay of execution.The question of what criteria constitutes True Crime is never raised. The plot involves a young black man robbing a grocery store and accidentally killing the pregnant female clerk, while Beechum happens to be in the store. Beechum is convicted for the crime on the tried-and-true Whitey charge of "Being Black And Nearby." To really bite at the meat of the movie's title, we would be exploring who is more of a criminal: the robber-murderer, or the congressperson whose mismanagement of social policy created the necessity for the robber to turn to crime for survival in the first place.In other words, is the bottom rung of society to blame for their survival instincts, when those instincts are only brought into prominence because white-collar criminals create a disparity of wealth in society to begin with? Well, slap a little racism in there - keep the deep thinkers at bay. For a second.There are a few too-convenient plot points and pulp coincidences, and we shudder to think how a less talented director might have made a mush of them. Only Eastwood directing Eastwood can get away with contrivances like Everett knowing the governor personally and later calling in a favor in the dead of night when the clock is ticking down; only Eastwood directing Eastwood can make sexagenarian Everett a convincing skirt-chaser, involved with a fellow reporter's (Denis Leary) wife. Only Eastwood directing Eastwood, Etc.For the simple story it is, TRUE CRIME hits its marks and pays off: dialog is snappy, especially the uber-masculine repartee between Eastwood, James Woods (as his editor) and Denis Leary; the principals give nuanced performances - Lisa Gay Hamilton as Washington's loyal wife, Diane Verona as Everett's estranged wife, Michael Jeter as a slimy eyewitness; Bernard Hill as a sympathetic warden and Michael McKean as a boneheaded priest. Eastwood's real-life daughter, Francesca Fisher-Eastwood (from ex-wife Frances Fisher), plays his cute little daughter.--Review by Poffy The Cucumber.