Three screenwriters are credited with adapting the novel
TRUE CRIME to the screen, which is usually a bad sign,
usually resulting in loss of narrative focus and unsteady
plot pacing. Yet Clint Eastwood, as director and star, gives
the mediocre material admirable girth.
As actor, Eastwood contributes his finest 2 hours since IN
THE LINE OF FIRE, creating a wonderfully unplayed underdog
who's appealing to root for. And, as a director, he proves
once again his penchant for modulating performances and
constructing wonderful individual sequences. And his eye for
relative detail is as sharp as ever. The material certainly
isn't inspired, yet Eastwood's filmmaking panache elevates
the material to a helplessly watchable potboiler that (while
slim overall) is nevertheless wonderfully entertaining and
crackling-good fun -- everything a movie should be.