Plot: What’s it about?
Eddie Dodd (James Woods) was once a civil rights lawyer with much success, a man who stood up against injustice and often times, overcame the system. But those days have passed and now, Dodd spends his time defending drug dealers, as time has turned him bitter toward the world and the ways in which it works. One man could change all that however, as Roger Baron (Robert Downey, Jr.) has entered the picture and seeks to return Dodd to the days of empowerment. Baron is fresh out of law school and full of passion, which he plans to use to inspire Dodd somewhat, so that he will take on a most difficult case. You see, Baron has followed Dodd’s career and considers him to be a hero to the people, which is why he wants to learn by Dodd’s side. And soon, Baron has pushed Dodd enough and he agrees to take on the case, but he is reluctant and doesn’t seem optimistic about the deal. The case involves an Asian-American who was convicted of murder and sent to prison for life, even though the case seemed to be glossed over for the most part. Now Dodd and Baron must delve into a case that will prove to be so deep and far reaching, neither of them would have dreamed how complex it truly is.
Although this is not a high profile release, I am pleased that True Believer has been issued, as it stands as an above average courtroom/suspense flick. I wouldn’t place it among the very best genre entries, but it has all the needed elements and is more than worth a look. The main draw for me is the blockbuster performance of James Woods, who is excellent here and really pushes this film above many others in the genre. He isn’t all alone however, as such names as Robert Downey, Jr., Kurtwood Smith, and Margaret Collins, all of whom also turn in solid performances. The actors have some good material to work with also, so it all comes together to form one heck of a good suspense picture. Of course, some solid twists and turns are tossed in, just to maintain suspense and tension, as well as add some entertainment value. A brisk pace, good direction, and a terrific ending all support those elements, to create the film that is True Believer. I think genre fans will be most interested, but anyone looking for a good movie should give this one a rental. I am let down with the effort put into this disc, but the flick is good enough to warrant a look.
As I mentioned above, this film includes an excellent performance from James Woods, who always seems to come up strong in his roles. As soon as I see Woods listed in any cast, I know I can count on at least one solid turn, this movie proves to be no exception. Woods is superb in True Believer and gives one of his finest performances, which makes it even more of a mystery as to why this picture isn’t better known. But fans of Woods will not want to miss it this time around, as Woods commands the screen and thanks to a well developed character, really shines through here. Although he usually appears in supporting roles, Woods can also serve as the lead, which he more than proves in True Believer. Other films with Woods include Casino, Videodrome, Contact, The Virgin Suicides, John Carpenter’s Vampires, and Any Given Sunday. The rest of the cast includes Robert Downey, Jr. (Wonder Boys, Back to School), Yuji Okumoto (The Karate Kid Part II, Mean Guns), Luis Guzman (Boogie Nights, Traffic), Margaret Colin (Pretty In Pink, The Devil’s Own), and Kurtwood Smith (Robocop, Broken Arrow).
Video: How does it look?
True Believer is presented in a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer, with a full frame edition included on the disc’s flip side. This film was made in 1989 and shows some signs of wear, but still comes out in a more than decent presentation. The source print shows a lot of grain at times and some wear is evident, but not enough to lessen the experience much, though the materials could use some touch up work. Some scenes look cleaner however and as such, I am balancing the score between the good ones and bad ones. The natural color scheme comes across well, flesh tones look solid, and the contrast is good, unless the grain is heavy in the scenes. I saw no evidence of compression errors either, which leaves me to score this one at average, but it still looks better than previous releases.
Audio: How does it sound?
This release uses a 2.0 surround track, but since this is a dialogue driven flick, all the bases are more than covered here. The musical score does spark the surrounds at times, but on the whole, this is a front channel based mix, which is fine. The dialogue is clean and stable, with no volume problems in the least. I know we’re used to powerful surround tracks, but when the film needs a more basic, conservative presentation, that is just what it should be given. So while this track is not overwhelming, it handles the material in natural form, which is what counts in the end. This disc also includes 2.0 surround tracks in English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese, as well as subtitles in English, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Korean, Thai, and Chinese.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc houses some talent files, but no other bonus materials were included.
