Review of The Believer (2001) by Chucho E. Q — 20 Jun 2009
It must be a bitch to live under the shadow of something like American History X, which I consider an extraordinary piece of acting and filmmaking. It's a pity, because this movie, by itself, without dumb comparisons between similar-subject-matter movies, is a punch in the stomach: but one I enjoyed with a shocked grin on my face.
Instead of taking the obvious route of shocking the audience with a parade of nazi monsters on screen just for the sake of being shocking, the movie is, from start to finish, a deep, explicit, moving character study, masterfully commanded by a tour-de-force, explosive performance by Gosling.
It's not about faith or race or politics: it's about fear, anger and confusion. Daniel Balint is one of the most intelligent characters ever portrayed on film. He asks too many questions and has too many doubts to the point when God (or Judaism) doesn't have answers for him. He is, by itself, a beautiful, troubled, charming character, who lures you to his deepest thoughts and the pain in his soul.
This isn't a movie about Neo Nazis. It's about a powerful mind, searching for answers in all the wrong places.
The ending is absolutely golden.
This review of The Believer (2001) was written by Chucho E. Q on 20 Jun 2009.
The Believer has generally received very positive reviews.
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