True Confessions

.... Including mine I stayed up late to watch TRUE CONFESSIONS down to the simple reason it contained performances by De Niro and Duvall . Neither performance disappointed ( Remember this was made in 1981 when DeNiro was a God when it came to acting . How times change ) but the rest of the film did . I was under the impression that this was going to be very similar to LA CONFIDENTIAL and for brief spots the movie hints it`s heading in that direction with its subplot of the murder of a prostitute and * but there`s far too many slow talky scenes with static direction and there seems to be a subtext of catholic guilt in there somewhere which will probably confuse anyone who didn`t attend a catholic school as a child . If you want to see DeNiro in a great film about redemption and guilt watch ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA instead

I had high hopes for this film, with De Niro and also the rarely if ever disappointing Robert Duvall, two of the best actors around. I wasn't disappointed. This is a very understated, gently told story of church & police politics, of corruption, of brothers & of the way our decisions affect our future lives. As he so often does, Duvall steals the film but he has tough competition from the likes of Cusack (brilliantly cynical), Meredith &, of course, De Niro. I have watched this film several times & have even transferred it onto DVD so that I may continue to enjoy it. If you're looking for thrills or excitement, rent something else. But if you're looking for good characters, a believable plot & a strangely unforgettable film, I recommend this one.

I was moved to near-tears, not only by the film but also by the poignant score that accompanies this absorbing reminisce about two brothers, now at the end of their lives. The music, by Georges Delerue, is a perfect compliment to the moving story of these uncommon brothers. Especially at the end, when it left me so affected that I could only sit and listen as the credits rolled - unable (and unwilling) to shake off the emotion you are left with. Morality, murder, power, corruption and terrific acting wrapped in a 40s detective story. A reminder that we can never go back and change our decisions, and they can so often affect those around us as much as ourselves.

This movie seems like it is going to be great with De Niro as a busy young handsome competent monseigneur in 1947 LA....but it quickly deteriorates into skeleton scenes and irritating 40s detective style corny dialog--cynical one liners etc..(This kind of dialog needs to be delivered quick without blinking by the right actors Stanwyck or others and it works OK...not as done in this film.) Nothing fleshes the plot out with excitement or suspense--in fact what exactly is the plot? Is it a murder mystery? A tough detective story? An insider view of the church?? Corrupt but basically good guy cops?? All these plot lines are fragmented and loose. Duval is frankly irritating in this movie and looks and acts so different from De Niro that it is jarring whenever he enters a scene as his brother. Where is the beef? It seems like there aren't enough people or large chunks of the story are missing. What is so captivating about a $5 hooker hotel?- What is the deal with the Chinese paying off the cops? Why did the madam commit suicide or was she murdered?? Why did she spend time in the pen for Duval? None of it is tied together. You so hope that De Niro will get involved in an interesting story but there is no interesting story...there is a land developer who is corrupt but that is glossed over. A hooker/actress is killed and cut in two pieces but nothing much develops from that story. We find out De Niro gave her a ride in his car so that ruins his career...Why?? You end up not caring about any of these characters and they seem cardboard and thin. Duval and his ugly side kick are repulsive to watch. Duval gets angry and throws some punches at the property developer...the oblique involvement of the Property Developer in the girls death (she is sliced in two) is vague and leads no where--apparently he didn't kill the hooker just introduced her to someone who probably did. DULL AND BORING AVOID.

Easily one of the 10 most boring movies I've ever seen. The difference between watching this film and paint drying is that watching paint dry is more exciting. How I ever managed to sit thru 65 minutes before turning it off amazes me. But I kept hoping it would get better, unfortunately it didn't. With all the stars in this film I just kept hoping. I'm having a hard time believing the other comments about this movie as I'm not hard to please with a movie. This is a perfect example of how a great cast can't even help a bad movie. Thinking of renting this title? Pass, you'll find something better on cable.

This was a really good little film. It takes a look at the Black Dahlia killing but it mainly focuses on the relationships between the people. Even though they look and figure out who the killer is, it's a secondary part of the story. The Black Dahlia part in this movie is not accurate to the facts from the real case but it's not really suppose to be. Catholic Church corruption, prostitution and murder all combined for a really quiet meaningful little flick. Long before L.A. Confidential, this film made light of the massive corruption and lack of caring in the L.A. police department back in it's bad years from the 20's through the 50's. You'll be glad you didn't live there back in those days. No action but high on drama/thriller twists and turns. If you like L.A. Confidential, see this. I'm willing to bet, you'll like it.

If you like your mysteries to be ponderous, pretentious, and dripping with Catholic guilt over the horrible sin of being human, you will love the heavy-handedness of True Confessions. This film has a pace that's like molasses dripping in January. It was a major bomb at the time of it's release, and for good reason, because everyone expected sparks from the pairing of the two Roberts (DeNiro and Duvall), but what transpired was a lackluster "mystery", with no suspense or drama, just a lame conspiracy angle (ala Chinatown and it's neo-noir cynicism) which was the predominant storyline with a murder of a girl (a copy of the real-life 1947 Black Dahlia murder of Elizabeth Short who was severed into two pieces, here renamed The Virgin Tramp killing) that initiates the investigation. Roberts Duvall and DeNiro are indeed great actors, but they were wasted in this snore-fest. And what's even worse (and ludicrous) is they're supposed to be brothers in this movie! I believe that like I believe Ren and Stimpy are fraternal twins. They only reason True Confessions is remembered at all is because of the waste of talent of two esteemed actors, and the lame copy-cat of the Dahlia murder.

True Confessions is a film wherein all of the players are at the top of their game. Altho starring Robert Duval and Robert DeNiro, the depth of field among the character actors is extraordinary, and this is why a movie that's seems to have so little going on is really so overwhelmingly powerful. Both Duval and DeNiro seem to communicate without speaking; almost as tho their thoughts are being sub-titled on the screen. Whenever they do begin talking with each other, the weight of their shared past has the force of a sledge hammer. I have a vhs copy of True Confessions, have watched it plenty of times and still find fresh nuances whenever I look at it. You have to see this movie.

True Confessions(1981) This is a story of corruption between two brothers, one a power wielding priest in the Catholic church and the other a sordid detective in 1940's Los Angeles.Based on the "Who Killed the Black Daliha" case, 'True Confessions' boasts perhaps the greatest supporting cast ever in a motion picture. Great period piece and incredible acting by Robert Duvall, Robert DeNiro, and Ed Flanders.

Los Angeles, 1948. Robert De Niro is a Catholic priest whose brother (Robert Duvall), a seedy cop, has been assigned to the case of a brutally murdered young prostitute. Through a matter of irony the girl is linked to the priest, who was present in a car with her prior to her death, and soon controversy flairs and a big to-do is made of it. "True Confessions" plays a bit too slowly, and is rather predictable. It also does a poor job of managing some of its plot -- it tries to criticize the absurdity of the press at some points, but just becomes a victim of its own satire when it unrealistically links events together via newspapers in the film. De Niro is believable as a priest, although maybe a bit too young for the role. Duvall is impressive as a gruff detective -- not a typical role for the actor. (Darker than he usually is in most movies.) If you're a fan of the actors I'd try to watch this at least once in your lifetime just for the sake of being able to say or know that you saw it -- but I wouldn't go out of my way to see it if I were you.