True Believer (1989)

James Woods Film Fest Movie #4 (This would have been perfect for my tribute to Bad Cops) 

Synopsis: Scuzzy lawyer tries to get his client acquitted of a jailhouse murder by arguing he should never have been sent to the big house in the first place. Um… is that even remotely possible in the real world?

Blurb From the VHS Jacket: “The killing. The conviction. The cover-up. Now James Woods is about to go up against corruption and conspiracy at the highest levels of New York City law enforcement in the action-packed courtroom drama TRUE BELIEVER.” 

What Did I Learn?: Neo-nazis can get awfully grumpy if you drop in them unannounced, and in the middle of the night. 

You Might Like This Movie If: you're a true believer who is in search of the truth.

 

Really?: 1) See: “Synopsis.” 2) Hold on – the D.A. knows Shu Kai Kim is an innocent man, and that looking into the case could unravel a web of corruption, and yet he turns down a deal that would have avoided a potentially messy trial? 3) Why would the D.A. incriminate himself on the witness stand? And why the fuck would Dodd rest his case immediately after his testimony (damning as it is), when the case is quite complicated, they jury doesn’t know the full story?

Rating: True Believer is an enjoyable, if somewhat implausible courtroom drama. Woods is great, but Robert Downey Jr. is given very little to do (despite receiving second billing), and more-or-less disappears mid-way through the film. 6.5/10 stars. 

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098524/?ref_=nv_sr_1