True Crime

Although it falls over in its latter stages with a reliance on overly convenient plot point and an egregiously sentimental narrative coda, for the most part Clint Eastwood's True Crime, scripted by Stephen Schiff, Larry Gross and Paul Brickman is an engaging, modestly-scaled B-grade.

Eastwood plays Steve Everett, an old school journalist,who is assigned to cover the last few hours of the life of Frank Beachum (Isaiah Washington), a convicted murderer, who is to be executed later that night. After meeting him Steve gets a hunch that Frank is innocent but has only a few hours to get a stay of execution.

Some may with justice suggest that Eastwood is miscast  in the lead role (he was 69 at the time and varies little from his familiar screen persona). Unsurprisingly he gets the gnarly cynicism and dry humour of his character right but how it is that he has a young wife (Diane Venora) and daughter and is having an affair with the wife of his editor (Dennis Leary) is not explained. Plus he’s supposed to be a compulsive skirt-chaser but it is hard to believe he’d be getting many bites.

Of course in the tradition of such things he is a reformed alcoholic and is constantly on the verge of being sacked by his editor-in-chief (James Woods in fine form) who is tired of his refusal to play by the rules but also of the old guard recognizes his nose (a metaphor given somewhat awkward exposition) for a story. Eastwood is, as always watchable and although he varies little from his familiar laconic screen persona he brings a likeable self-deprecating irony to the part of Everett and finds time as director to step aside from the main story to familiarize us with his better qualities.

The oft-seen in both prison and newspaper movies race-against-the-clock device is worked well as Steve grows gradually more invested in Frank who faces his impending demise with a faith and sense of acceptance that Steve envies. With nary a gun in sight True Crime is a heartfelt and persuasive story of redemption. 
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