True Confessions

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.

In post-war L.A., Desmond Spellacy (Robert De Niro) is the well-connected monsignor in the Los Angeles archdiocese. His older brother is LAPD Detective Tom Spellacy (Robert Duvall). They are both entrenched in the corrupt city. Tom was a bagman and Desmond is always horse trading among the sinful elites. The body of a young woman cut in two pieces is found on a hillside.

This is inspired by the 1947 Black Dahlia murder. The acting is impeccable. The cast is rock solid. The movie spends a lot of time painting a picture of the setting and the brothers. As a mystery, it is a straight short road without any interesting twists and turns. I can't really even call it a mystery. It is actually a relationship movie. The dead body is more or less a distraction. With a big time Black Dahlia story, one expects a better crime mystery investigation. The actors and their performances are beyond reproach.

Such a great cast and story as this movie should have been a blockbuster yet fails becouse of obvious dragging and lack of beefier scenes.Too bad becouse the idea and storyline is brilliant with potential to outdo "Chinatown".Very bad ending as well.Watch this movie though if you are a fan of both De Niro and Duvall and also if you like movies with great acting so much that you would not mind the movies shortcomings......

One of the most underrated films of the past 25 years, "True Confessions" is worth repeated viewings. On the surface it's a period piece about a corrupt Los Angeles where sex, money, the police, and the Catholic church all mingle. While at first glance, the film is as lurid as "L.A. Confidential," beneath the surface it is a memorable love story, a story of two brothers, one a detective and one a ranking member of the Church hierarchy.

The brothers are played by Robert Duvall and Robert DeNiro, in performances that will linger in your mind forever. The silent moments between these two brothers resound louder than the dialogue. There's one heartbreaking scene in a bar where their inability to communicate despite their love for one another captures all of the complexities of sibling relationships. I have no idea who won the Oscar for Best Actor in 1984, but whoever it was could not have been better than the two Roberts are here.

In supporting roles Kenneth McMillan and Charles Durning also shine, one as a corrupt cop and the other as a corrupt businessman. In fact, I would have loved to see a remake of this film with the two pairs of actors trading roles: DeNiro for Duvall and McMillan for Durning. That film would have been different but arguably as great.

The final scene of the film is punctuated by the perfect sound track. So a great big tip of the hat to all responsible: John Gregory Dunne for the script, Ulu Grosbard for the wonderful direction that allows for those memorable silences, and, of course, a miraculous cast of fine performers working at the height of their art. Don't miss this film.

After the end of World War II, Americans turn their attention to other stories. Capturing the country's attention is the 1948 murder of a young woman known as "The Virgin Tramp". Her body is found in Los Angeles, neatly cut in half. There is some disagreement about whether the body requires one or two stretchers on its way to the morgue. My vote is one, but forensics folks like to keep the body as it was discovered. Arriving at the murder scene is police detective Robert Duvall (as Thomas "Tom" Spellacy). His brother is Catholic priest Robert De Niro (as Desmond "Des" Spellacy). There will be a connection...

You would expect a crime story involving a policeman and priest played by Mr. Duvall and Mr. De Niro to be better than this. There is also a great supporting cast, led by Duvall partner Kenneth McMillan (as Frank Crotty) and De Niro associate Charles Durning (as Jack Amsterdam). And, it's obviously well-produced. The story should have stuck with Duvall and the murder mystery. De Niro's character might have been more minor - the film is, simply, too sluggish. Also, there was no need for the bracketing opening and closing scenes set in the present. Surely, the brothers had more to reminisce about than this incident.

***** True Confessions (9/24/81) Ulu Grosbard ~ Robert Duvall, Robert De Niro, Charles Durning, Kenneth McMillan