Review of D.A.D.: True Believer (2008) by David N — 13 Aug 2010

True Believer is a film about Eddie Dodd(Woods), who is a lawyer way over his glory days of being a civil rights lawyer. Dodd, who now just specializes on drug cases, picks up a new kid named Roger Baron(Downey Jr.) who is fresh out of schooling and is ready to dive right in and become a lawyer. A family then comes into Dodd's office begging for Dodd to be their lawyer for their boy, Shu Kai Kim(Okumoto), who they believe was framed and is innocent. After some serious convincing from Roger, Dodd finally takes on a case worth while after 10 years. Only problem is that all the facts point at Kim and it's up to Roger and Dodd to go against the odds....

True Believer is an amazing courthouse drama. Penned in a manner that has twists and surprises at the end of every turn. The film would be at a much higher rating but it suffers from some serious plot holes. Still, the film is more than enjoyable thanks to the great sub plots and how they all tie together. Also, the dialogue and intense arguments pack that much more of a powerful punch in the courtroom scenes.

In most courthouse dramas, the tension is thick but it can get repetitive, the film steers clear of that and can maintain it's tension without getting mundane. This is a factor that truly made me enjoy the film because most courthouse dramas seem to be stuck on repeat or loses it's steam but the writing and powerful performances give you sweaty palms throughout the entire film.

Also, speaking of powerful performances, James Woods' energy as a hard headed lawyer who is very persistent jumps off the screen and truly shocks you. Whether it be him jumping around the courtroom with raw emotion or whether it be his snoopy detective attitude outside of the courtroom, he delivers an unbelievably powerful performance. To help pack even more of a punch, Downey Jr. definitely adds the witty and humorous side of the film. Don't worry though, he still has a good amount of serious parts. The movie flows so well thanks to Downey Jr. and Woods' performance along with such an amazing supporting cast.

Overall, the movie at times can be hard to indulge thanks to the plot holes but please don't turn off the screen just yet. The movie in it's entirety will blow you away thanks to the surprises and twists. The film definitely plays mind games with the viewer and has you switching your verdict on the inmate thanks to some powerhouse performances and just great overall story telling. Some say juggling too many sub plots can ruin a movie but when it's done right, it's that much more rewarding. Definitely check this film out!!

Wade-O-Meter: 80%---> 80%.