Sundance Review: 'True Story' Starring James Franco, Jonah Hill & Felicity Jones

“True Story” feels especially well-timed in its release, due to how it grapples with the kinds of issues that were collectively struggled with last fall in the form of the Serial podcast and Rolling Stone magazine's UVA debacle, such as questions of who to believe, what constitutes the truth, and how to present the facts of a horrifying situation. These ideas drive “True Story,” and the result is a chilling film that, despite its craft and best efforts, still struggles to overcome its star power. While that is what gets films like this made (and producer Brad Pitt made an appearance during its introduction at Sundance), in the case of a true crime tale such as this, it serves as a bit of a distraction. "True Story" is a two-hander between Jonah Hill and James Franco, in a vastly different mode than any of their previous times sharing the screen. Hill is Mike Finkel, an aggressive and talented New York Times reporter whose name is disgraced when allegations surface that he...