The Movie is the crime

I have to agree. I used to think that he made decent movies but the more I look into Clint's movies the less impressed I am with his movie making skills. The dialogue in his movies always seems rushed as does the plot. Mystic River is another example of his characters using unrealistic dialogue to move the plot along. I like Clint but he makes lousy movies.

j

Do you want me to send you back to where your were? Unemployed - In Greenland!

The movie was great so the problem is clearly with you. Didn't like it? Go watch some will smith *beep* which should be right up your ally.

I just finished watching this, and every point you made is right on.

One of the cardinal rules of screenplay writing is, elements in a novel which work primarily due to exposition will fail on screen -- where the audience draws conclusions based solely on characters' behavior and action. I haven't read the book on which this film is based. But I suspect this is yet another Hollywood screenplay committing suicide by being overly reverent to its source.

Despite being overlong and falling into caricature every 12 minutes, "True Crime" still manages to sustain interest. But the casualty list is long indeed: Everett's wife and child are an unnecessary subplot, with his bizarre abuse of his daughter at the zoo simultaneously implausible and distasteful. Ditto for the bare-chested 69-year old actor's relentless advances toward 20-something girls throughout the film. Michelle's father accidentally discovering on the floor of his daughter's room everything Everett needed to save Frank was laughable.

Even interesting failures have their bright spots. James Woods and Hattie Winston offer top notch supporting performances. And Mary McCormack makes an impression in her single major scene.

Verdict: As a director, Clint's mind just wasn't in the game. Frank's life was saved at the last possible second. Too bad the same couldn't be done for this misfire.

Not every movie Clint makes is going to be an Oscar winner. That being said, I still believe this is good movie, not one of Clints best but still worth watching. I thought James Woods had some really funny lines in this too.

If you thought that the child was crying because she didn't have a green crayon then you most certainly missed it. Race through zoo was bizarre but there was a point to that as well. The priest wasn't unnecessary, at the very least the confession made Everett doubt his commitment to the story/case.

I agree. We just watched this movie last night. I can't believe this comes from the same man who made "Mystic River" and "Million Dollar Baby."
My main problem was that it was too long. It dwelled on plot lines beyond making a point. We know he likes young women and that his wife doesn't like him. We know Frank is a good man and that he's innocent. Get to the point! It took about an hour for Steve to realize that he was onto something. C'mon!
I will say in its defense that there were some funny moments and the climax was good. Other than that, I'd say, don't bother.

I totally agree: the movie, with all it's implausibilities plodded on at a snail's pace. It had no intriguing musical score. You could easily trim 45 minutes out of it and a few characters as well. Let's face it: out of every 5 of his films, Clint Eastwood has one smash hit. This was one of the misses.

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