Fresh and Exciting

If you like to be scared, if you like to laugh, and if you like to learn a thing or two at the movies, this absolutely cannot be missed.

The story-telling is good with flashbacks.The film is both funny and heartbreaking. You smile in a scene and get a soulcrushing revelation in the next.

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

True Confessions is a 1981 crime that was loosely based on the still unsolved Black Dahlia murder case of 1947.It stars Robert De Niro and Robert Duvall together with Charles Durning,Cyril Cusack,Burgess Meredith and Kenneth McMillan.Los Angeles detective Tom Spellacy is assigned to investigate the death of a priest.It was stated that the priest suffered from a heart attack after being served by a prostitute.The young Catholic monsignor Des Spellacy,who happens to be Tom's brother is apparently uncooperative with the investigation as he was currying a favor with crooked contractor to finance the expansion of his church.But they finally come together after the murder of a hooker.This film was directed by Ulu Grosbard deals with themes such as power, ambition, and hypocrisy.This was obviously was a fascinating movie.Considering that we have two of the finest actors in De Niro and Duvall,it should have become a classic considering that it deals with the corruption that involves the Catholic Church and police force. Also,it provides a perceptive character study of two brothers that belong to two institutions wherein integrity should has been maintained.Unfortunately,a lot of waiting period scenes made it less interesting that it was suppose to be.But definitely,it was definitely one of the most entertaining and intelligent films ever made during the 80's.

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

Two high powered Actors and an attention to detail Period Piece set in the Post War Film-Noir era, so to call this Neo-Noir would be accurate. It is the story of flawed Characters among corruption and vice and in this atmosphere the gravity is intense.It pulls down righteous Men into a Hellish realm of money scams perpetrated by the Church who seemingly admire surface Saints who are ready to fill the collection plate. It is this hypocrisy that is at the heart of the Brother Detective and the Brother Monsignor Story and with some spice in the form of a Hooker Murder and some embarrassing sexcapades.This is a great looking Movie with some stunning Performances and a terse, if confusing at times, Script with some scenes that simmer, percolate, and are intense from Dialog exchanges. There is virtually no Action and all the Violence comes from either off screen or is buried in the Soul. So the entertainment comes from watching these two Brothers trying to keep from drowning in this cesspool and at least keep their heads and their Spirit (The Holy Ghost) above it all. If this was a True Confession, it would have to be admitted, they both failed. But will be forgiven if they say a few Hail Marys so they can be buried in Sacred Ground.

Terrible film which gives another awful impression of the Catholic church filled with corruption and violence.Robert De Niro as the monsignor certainly gives that high position a bad name. A priest who visits the track and associates himself with undesirables is certainly not a positive role model for the church.In the film, De Niro's brother is played by Robert Duvall, a cop with an ax to grind.We hear stories about companies getting contracts to build churches and schools. There is murder along the way. Charles Durning really adds to this mess in the scene where he is made Catholic lay-man of the year and then goes on a tirade against Duvall,when the latter accuses him of wrong-doing.The Duvall character, as the policeman, is not exactly a study of a choir boy either.The movie is nasty. No one is really depicted as nice. Nearly everyone is frequenting a prostitute played by Rose Gregorio. She turns in a nice supporting performance but was her demise a suicide or murder?