Beyond Lies

Based on the book by Stephen Elliot by the same name, now although I haven't read it I assume that that did better at putting all the material together than the movie did.

There are some standalone scenes that are pretty solid but there's also some questionable ones that feels a bit random.

It's listed here as a crime/drama/thriller, but the crime elements is very limited and thriller even more so There is a subplot about a random murder-case involving a character played by Christian Slater but it doesn't have that big of importance in the long scheme of things, at least the movie didn't manage to convey it as it did.

The movie is about memories and perceptions of reality and how that can change in time.

The message and idea behind the movie is pretty clever and the acting is pretty good (save for maybe Amber Heard who feels a bit empty) and it's decent enough visually but for some reason it just doesn't quiet work as a whole.

Books on fiction and even more so autobiographical memoirs are always edited, self edited if you prefer. Even the most brutally frank of memoirs there is always a part so painful we don't want to tell the world and we hope that no one else is keeping track to tell it differently. That's what happens to James Franco on another of his quirky projects playing a writer who does his Adderall like peppermint candy.

Franco is covering the trial of wife killer Christian Slater and as the testimony rolls he sees some of his own life especially in his relationship with his estranged father Ed Harris who sees the same incidents and others he prefers to remember a bit differently. Franco and Harris have some great scenes together they are the heart of the film.

Editing our memories is the phenomenon this film chose to explore. If not the best of explanations it's a valiant attempt.

Great cast! Story was uneven and quite frankly boring at times. I'll watch Ed Harris in anything.

This film tells the story of a young writer who wrote a book about his troubled relationship with his father, and the abuse he had to endure over the years. The sudden appearance of his father in the book launch party raises doubts on his claims in the book.

The story is good because it draws viewers in to both sides of the coin. Initially I am so convinced that Stephen is the victim, yet as the story unfolds we get to know how things may not be as it seems. The revelation that memories can be distorted, but we never question our own memories is quite a strong argument, and many of us can relate to that. It is an introspective and revelatory journey for Stephen, but I can relate to it as well.

Given the Title, Adderall (focus driven medication prescribed for ADHD and narcolepsy), it's only mentioned as a "Catch-All" for Drug Addiction.

James Franco is getting to the Point where No One can take Him Seriously anymore. So Overexposed and with Limited Ability to Transcend His Own Personality, He gives Performance after Performance Playing Himself.

A Best Selling Memoir from Author Stephen Elliott is the Source Material. The Plot of the Movie Explores Memory Confabulation. It's a Heady Affair that Lacks Focus. It Rambles with Borderline Incoherence Dealing with so many Profound Subjects that most of it is Lost in the Translation of Clichéd Sex and Drug Behavior Attempting to be "Indie-Edgy" with Sadomasochism.

Nothing is Drawn from the Personality Disorders or Family Dysfunction beyond "True Crime" Motivations and to be frank, not much is Realized even there.

A Mess of a Movie with Ed Harris Overacting to Burn Up the Screen with Hidden Clues about what Really Happened. In the End it is Doubtful You will Care. The Main Problem in the Movie is its Ambition to Group Dysfunction, Addiction, and Mental Illness into a Pot and Stir. The Cinematic Stew, Unfortunately is Tasteless and no where Near Fulfilling or Satisfying.