True Confessions, an extraordinary tale of two brothers set on a collision course by a brutal murder in 1940s Los Angeles. Desmond Spellacy, a rising star in the church hierarchy, has more of a talent for fund-raising than saving souls. When his brother Tom, a hardened L.A. cop, investigates the murder of a prostitute, he discovers one of the church's prime benefactors is involved. A complex and provocative study of the uneasy bond and surprising similarities between two brothers, True Confessions features superb performances from two of the best American actors of their generation.

Review

"John Gregory Dunne turned the true story of Los Angeles's Black Dahlia murder case into a compelling novel and then adapted the novel (with wife Joan Didion) for this meaty movie mystery directed by Ulu Grosbard. A study of the ways power corrupts, and the way corruption consumes the soul, the film stars Robert Duvall and Robert De Niro as a pair of brothers (a cynical police detective and a rapidly rising monsignor, respectively) who come into conflict over the case of a murdered woman in 1940s Hollywood. De Niro gives a beautifully shaded performance, while Duvall, who never gives a bad one, gets the slightly flashier role. Yet there's nothing showy about Duvall, who gets under the skin of this cop and who knows better than to get personally involved in a case but ultimately can't help it. A fine supporting cast includes Kenneth McMillan, Charles Durning, and Burgess Meredith. Maybe too studied for some, but worth watching if only for the two leads." --Marshall Fine