The Believer is narratively so-so but both the dialogue and Ryan Gosling's performance are excellent - Gosling is transformative. This caustic little indie doesn't pack the punch or production values of American History X, but Tony Kaye's film is something of a glossy, melodramatic morality tale. Instead, The Believer focuses not on slick monochrome cinematography but on the psychology and philosophy of anti-semitism. The film is at its best when Gosling delivers the venomous yet articulate diatribes of Henry Bean's script, which offer compelling insights into the toxic mix of paranoia and fury that fester in the anti-semitic mind.
Review of The Believer
