A very good cast in a quite good TV movie directed by Bruno Barreto, "The Heart of Justice" presents Eric Stoltz as a popular reporter investigating the murder of a
famous writer (Dennis Hopper) on the hands of a wealthy young man (Dermot Mulroney) who committed suicide after the fact. What could possibly link those two individuals?
Making his research and digging up some dirt, the reporter finds that the young man's sister (Jennifer Connelly) might be part of the issue which revolves on some family
secrets.
Despite some cliches and with its one-dimensional characters of which is easily to predict their next moves, the movie manages to create a nice mystery, with several
complex layers that instigates viewers though it's quite easy to figure the mystery related with the family with skeletons in the closet due to the lack of characters who
could have an interest in killing the popular author.
The movie succeeds with good performances from practically everybody involved - specially with William H. Macy playing the humored mentor of Stoltz character, and there's
also Vincent Price on his final film performance - but
it's quite hard to relate with the cockiness coming from our heroic reporter, and I believe some viewers will probably hate him as the story progresses. Stoltz is pretty good,
an actor you can depend on very easily but this character didn't suit him all that way because it's too heartless at some points. Yet he's the main reason why this movie becomes
a point of curious interest since it talks about the power of media in creating stories, developing a case as things move on with twists and turns, and there's plenty of time
to talk about the importance of ethics in journalism along with the investigation conducted by the reporter. Nostalgia hit really hard when his sort of like idealistic manners
spoke volumes by saying that a journalist cannot print lies. In the current times of fake news and stuff, if only the media had those valid notions like he tries to infuse.
For a mystery story, the film works quite well but the surprises are quite superficial and easy to predict but it does not spoil any kind of enjoyment. It's pretty decent
and well acted. 8/10.
