Don't Believe the Hype

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

A teenage girl Mary Giordano (Alicia Silverstone) has been addicted to the investigation of unsolved crimes since her father, a cop, died in the line of duty. While her so-called friend (Tara Subkoff) is interested in regular guys, Mary spends her whole free time by studying biography of male serial killers and newspapers about the murders happening on the last Friday of every month. She lives in her own world of mysteries that is represented by her personal cabinet with newspaper clippings, photos and thoughts' journals inside (later she will keep there a rabbit foot, a gift from the serial killer). This is what fulfills her fatherless teenage life. Soon Mary meets Tony (Kevin Dillon) whom she suspects as a serial killer but who happens to be a cadet of a local police academy. Understanding that two heads are better than one, she asks him for help in solving the murders. He agrees, reluctantly though. During the investigation, Mary develops feelings for Tony. The idea of being together and solving the crimes as a team makes her feel happy, however after a while, she faces a harsh reality. To her horror, everything she believed in turns out to be wrong and the world she has built around herself starts crumbling.The opening of the movie makes it seem like a thriller and probably that is why, a lot of people expect more action and mystery and get disappointed as the movie ends. It is not hard to predict who the killer is going to be. True Crime is not a thriller. It is a crime drama with thriller elements about young gullible girl who comes to the understanding that life is not rainbows and unicorns. Slowly discovering how unpleasant the world can be, Mary still keeps her faith in people. What the movie makes interesting for me is how, throughout the movie, the director Pat Verducci shows two transitions that Mary undergoes simultaneously. She becomes a woman and matures. I was asking myself how the male director can make young female character so believable until I realized I was thinking, for some reason, of Pat Verducci as a man when it is actually a woman.Alicia Silverstone plays her part very well as a nerdy girl suffering from respective teenage complex. Her character is the total opposite of a seductive but psychotic girl from Crush or a rich high school student from Clueless which came out the same year True Crime did. Kevin Dillon, Matt Dillon's younger brother was impressive as Tony. The supporting cast includes Michael Bowen as a main suspect and Bill Nunn as the chief of police. What impresses me the most is the score. Slow, discreet and haunting, especially during the last scene and closing credits. It creates an unforgettable atmosphere for what I loved this movie when I saw it the first time on TV in 2003. It is actually one of my favorite movies. This is a low-budget, direct-to-video movie with predictable plot and some flaws. Hence you should not expect it to bring something new. True Crime (the only feature film Miss Verducci made) is not primarily about solving the murders. It concerns the development of aspiring female police officer's personality and the change of her outlook on life. Furthermore, it is about the understanding of the underworld through face-to-face interaction with a real serial killer. The invaluable life experience Mary obtains makes her stronger and now she can show others what she has learned from this journey through the heart.

The movie never becomes intolerable to watch. And to tell it straight, it has nothing to show either, except maybe part-sexy Alicia Silverstone in a nerdy non-sexy character in revealing quite-sexy dresses. The story is very easy to follow or there's nothing to follow -- you can see in either way. There is no suspense, little action, unimpressive dialogs, unsatisfactory sensuality, same boring locations and very bland acting. Kevin Dillon is totally worthless. Silverstone... well, I didn't concentrate too much on her acting, I confess. Yet as I said earlier, if one has nothing to do except watching a movie, this won't look so bad. 4/10

I believe that this is the worst film Alicia Silverstone has ever appeared in. Makes her previous films like The Crush(1993) look like a cinematic masterpiece. Alicia Silverstone's performance as Mary Giordano is unconvincing and at times annoying. A bland Hollywood low budget film with a mystery that is uncompelling as well as tiredly predictable. Might have been a good film if the film director had put some creative energy into the story. The repressed erotic emotions of Mary Giordano never reaches a three dimensional depth. The worst of Italian Giallos is still better than True Crime(1995) and the best of 1990s Teen slasher horror flick. La Sindrome di Stendhal/Stendhal Syndrome(1996) had a similar serial killer-young police woman cat and mouse relationship that was more developed than in True Crime(1995). Bill Nunn gives the only performance of the film that makes the movie a worthwhile view. Lame attempts at plot twists that never surprises or shocks.

Very good drama about a young girl who attempts to unravel a series of horrible crimes. She enlists the aid of a police cadet, and they begin running down a series of clues which lead to a traveling carny worker with a long police record. An ending which is guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your seat.