The Believer (2001)

The Believer

• This was an interesting movie, and widely thought of as Daddy Gosling’s breakout role. Although the story was decently good and still relevant to this day, the movie in itself was kind of choppy. The subject material is definitely sensitive, but because of that, the movie teaches a lesson. It shows you how anti-semiticsm and racism constantly thrive everywhere, no matter if you see it or not. It’s kind of difficult to sit through, as there’s a lot of hate and division. A lot of the characters are very racist and complete jerkholes, but the acting was still great. Gosling does a great job with his role, though he can be hard to watch because of his character's nature/attitude. I don’t want to say he did a good job showing hate, because that’s not who he is in real life, but he is able to channel his emotions to show you how real anti-semitism is. His character development was also very intriguing. You see him battle not just those around him, but with himself. He wants to figure out who he is as a person, and why he thinks the way he does. Movies that portray inner battles/struggles are always pretty good, and this one does a great job with his character. But, despite the serious story and hardcore characters, the movie never seems to go anywhere, and it felt just like it was continuous and going in a circle. There were a few scenes that were shot choppy, and there was also some crappy slo-mo. The music was solid, and it brought in some traditional sounding Jewish songs and singing. It really helped push the message of the movie. Overall, this movie was decent, and I’d definitely say it’s a good one-time watch. I don’t know if I’d rewatch it, but it’s one everyone should watch to see the real problems of hate, judgement, and division.