The Cover

The Believer is a film about timidity and faith. Daniel is a conflicted young man who embodies the very essence of contradiction - he's at once Jewish and a Nazi. The contradictions that he lives with even extend into his violent life. In one haunting scene, he lovingly repairs a torah stolen from a temple, seconds later giving a Nazi salute to the mirror.

Judaism is a religion of passive introspection, something Daniel fights against in his bid for self-satisfaction. We are never quite sure where his loyalty lies which creates a natural tension into every scene. Will the Nazis find out about his Jewish roots and practices? Will his Jewish friends encounter Daniel's hate-filled persona? Coupled with his articulate, passioned and (perhaps most frightening of all) his informed knowledge of Jewish religion, Daniel is a complex creature awash in intelligence and anger.

The Believer isn't afraid to confront the issues surrounding race, religion and hatred. American History X comes close, but there's a sheen of commercialization to it. As a whole The Believer is intellectual without becoming preachy and entertaining while maintaining an appropriate tone of solemn discussion.

The cast is small, which propels Gosling's performance even further to the forefront. I'm not the first to say it, (nor is it the first time I'm writing this), but I really do think Gosling is the next great American actor. That's not a phrase I would throw around lightly. With The Believer and even his performance in Murder by Numbers, he blows away all other actors his age and is more akin to a young DeNiro than Ryan Phillipe. Gosling's long, amazing monologues are mesmerizing, despite their offensiveness. Overall, it's performance that shamefully wasn't given more attentions because of the film's lack of theatrical release.

The Believer is based on a true story which makes everything even more haunting. I don't want to tell you more about it, because you should really discover it by yourself. This film is a must see. Amazing performances all around.

Movie Grade: A+

Video: 3 out of 5
It's a low budget film so there's definitely some graininess with it, along with a few sections shot on DV. It gives the proceedings a distinctly documentary feel that's only enhanced by the handheld shooting style.
Widescreen Anamorphic 1.85:1

Gosling

Audio: 3 out of 5
A non aggressive track that nonetheless makes some good use of music imaging. The haunting music is toned just right.
English (Dolby 2.0 and 5.1)

Extras: 4 out of 5
There's a nice sixteen minute interview with writer director Henry Bean. It's shot on video, but it gives some nice background on the genesis and evolution of the film. Also included is a commentary with the director and one of his producer. It's a good track and well worth a listen. Once again, there's Sundance's Anatomy of a Scene in which they breakdown the writing, acting and directing of a key scene as well as present some new background. Always well shot, edited and slickly presented. Like a Charlie Rose interview, I always love when this shows up on a disc. There's a theatrical trailer and some previews for some other wacky indies as well. The movie is a single disc in a keepcase. Another note: I really love the cover art of this film. It's at once offensive and slick.

Overall: 4.5 out of 5
If you like complicated, thought provoking films, you must pick this one up. Ryan Gosling is amazing and the film is an instant masterpiece.

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