Review of The Believer (2001) by Corey P — 22 Jul 2007

I was astounded by what this movie had to say. Yes, the concept of neo-nazism has been done by American History X. However, while AMHX focuses broadly on hatred of all other races (mainly blacks), The Believer is about Jews, and only Jews.

It is clearly written by somebody who deeply understands Judaism because it has so much to say about the ideas behind it and a lot of the rules. The story really takes a backseat to dialogue here which is a weakness of this movie, although if the story of this film were without this writing I probably wouldn't have liked it as much.

Acting is decent, but Ryan Gosling is PHENOMENAL. His performance elevates this movie to a new height that couldn't have been reached with most actors. He plays this part perfectly. My main criticism is that this movie loses itself sometimes and is just about a taco short of a combo plate.

I've also heard some complaints about how this movie ended, which was my favorite part. It makes you think. "There's nothing up there." is a line that still is ringing in my head after seeing it.

I highly recommend this to people who like independent film and those who enjoy discussion about religion and hatred. It is excellent in that regard and as a movie is quite good.