**SPOILERS** Driving out in the middle of the desert former LA detective Tom Spellack, Robert Duvall,goes to see his brother Desmond, Robert De Niro, who's the Monsignor of the New St. Mary's Abby. Tom is shocked to find out from Desmond that he doesn't have long to live and as the two talk over old times the movie goes back in time to L.A in the late 1940's when there was a sensational murder case that hit the headlines that Tom was in charge of the investigation. The movie "True Confessions" then instead of concentrating on this brutal Black Dalia-like hooker murder goes into a number of different directions that involves the two brothers with this sleazy southern California builder and former big time pimp Jack Amsterdam, Carles Durning.
The movie almost totally sways away from whats called the "Virgin Tramp" murder, as the L.A press coined it, that Tom is investigating. We then get to find out how both Tom and Desmond were involved with Amsterdam who's only connection with the dead hooker Lois Fazenda, Missy Cleveland, was that he was a costumer of hers. We also get to see Tom's old flame brothel madam Brenda Samuels, Rose Gregorio. Were told by her conversation with Tom that she took the rap for him some time ago that had her do a stretch in the can but what exactly she took the rap for is never explained? We also see both Tom and his partner Frank, Kenneth McMillan, being called over to Brenda's whore house where they find a well known priest, actually a Pastor, Father Mickey dead from a heart attack while engaging in sex with one of Brenda's girls.
It's then that both the police and the church cover up Father Mickeys unholy death in order not to embarrass the church which lead to the deceased Pastor getting a grand send off. Father Mickey's departure is follows by a huge Godfather-like wedding party, for one of Jack Amsterdam daughters, that Desmond attends. It's reviled by a number of people at the party that Desmon has been involved with Amsterdam for years in a number of shady deals for his church. Now, getting religious in his old age I guess Desmond want's to cut him loose but that's easier said then done.
The church not wanting to lose out on the millions of dollars that Amsterdam contributed, and still contributes, to it has Desmond transfered to a out of the way church in the middle of the desert, the New St Mary's Abby, to keep Amsterdam happy. Tom has now become obsessed in somehow pinning the Fazenda murder on him, in what seems like, just to get even with Amsterdam for having Desmond transfered. By now the movie "True Confessions" seems to get lost in not knowing what to concentrate on, the Fazerda murder or Jack Amsterdam unethical and criminal business dealings, and so do those of us watching it and trying to understand the story it's telling or trying to tell us.
The movie then shifts back to the Fazerda murder and we get to find out that she was a bit actress who got caught up with this porno film maker named Standard who may have been the one who murdered her but was killed in a car crash just hours after she was killed. With Tom finding Standard's studio in and abandoned US Army warehouse outside of L.A all the evidence is there to prove him being Fazerda's murderer. Still Tom goes crazily after Amesterdam which leads to the fact that Desmond himself was somehow involved with Fazerda by giving her a lift in his car outside the Del Mar race track the year before! It's never for a moment made to look like that Desmond's relations, if you can call it that, with Fazerda was nothing more then giving a hitch-hiker a free ride. But the movie as well as Amsterdam and Desmond's friend in the car with him that faithful afternoon Dan, Dan Flanders, makes it look like Desmond had a wild and hot sexual affair with Fazerda that eventually lead to her murder!
The movie goes on with a number of more confusing scenarios with Brenda killing herself with no real reason given other then she was again busted by the cops and Amsterdam who we find out is dying of cancer going to church and confessing his sins, in secret, to Desmond. Amsterdam at the same time uses words in the confession booth that are totally uncalled for in a house of worship! Amsterdam lets Desmond have it about his involvement with Fazerda which was nothing more then giving her a free ride back to town but made it sound, in his wild and obscene language, like he broke all of the Ten Commandments?
We now go back to the present as a both much older and wiser Desmond and Tom reminisce about the good old times that I feel they both would like to forget with Desmond taking Tom outside his Abby and showing him the plot of land that he reserved for his finial resting place. As the ending credits start rolling down the screen you start talking to yourself at home or, to the guy sitting next to you, in the theater in just trying to figure out what you saw on the screen and wonder if you were at all wide awake and sober when you saw it!
The movie almost totally sways away from whats called the "Virgin Tramp" murder, as the L.A press coined it, that Tom is investigating. We then get to find out how both Tom and Desmond were involved with Amsterdam who's only connection with the dead hooker Lois Fazenda, Missy Cleveland, was that he was a costumer of hers. We also get to see Tom's old flame brothel madam Brenda Samuels, Rose Gregorio. Were told by her conversation with Tom that she took the rap for him some time ago that had her do a stretch in the can but what exactly she took the rap for is never explained? We also see both Tom and his partner Frank, Kenneth McMillan, being called over to Brenda's whore house where they find a well known priest, actually a Pastor, Father Mickey dead from a heart attack while engaging in sex with one of Brenda's girls.
It's then that both the police and the church cover up Father Mickeys unholy death in order not to embarrass the church which lead to the deceased Pastor getting a grand send off. Father Mickey's departure is follows by a huge Godfather-like wedding party, for one of Jack Amsterdam daughters, that Desmond attends. It's reviled by a number of people at the party that Desmon has been involved with Amsterdam for years in a number of shady deals for his church. Now, getting religious in his old age I guess Desmond want's to cut him loose but that's easier said then done.
The church not wanting to lose out on the millions of dollars that Amsterdam contributed, and still contributes, to it has Desmond transfered to a out of the way church in the middle of the desert, the New St Mary's Abby, to keep Amsterdam happy. Tom has now become obsessed in somehow pinning the Fazenda murder on him, in what seems like, just to get even with Amsterdam for having Desmond transfered. By now the movie "True Confessions" seems to get lost in not knowing what to concentrate on, the Fazerda murder or Jack Amsterdam unethical and criminal business dealings, and so do those of us watching it and trying to understand the story it's telling or trying to tell us.
The movie then shifts back to the Fazerda murder and we get to find out that she was a bit actress who got caught up with this porno film maker named Standard who may have been the one who murdered her but was killed in a car crash just hours after she was killed. With Tom finding Standard's studio in and abandoned US Army warehouse outside of L.A all the evidence is there to prove him being Fazerda's murderer. Still Tom goes crazily after Amesterdam which leads to the fact that Desmond himself was somehow involved with Fazerda by giving her a lift in his car outside the Del Mar race track the year before! It's never for a moment made to look like that Desmond's relations, if you can call it that, with Fazerda was nothing more then giving a hitch-hiker a free ride. But the movie as well as Amsterdam and Desmond's friend in the car with him that faithful afternoon Dan, Dan Flanders, makes it look like Desmond had a wild and hot sexual affair with Fazerda that eventually lead to her murder!
The movie goes on with a number of more confusing scenarios with Brenda killing herself with no real reason given other then she was again busted by the cops and Amsterdam who we find out is dying of cancer going to church and confessing his sins, in secret, to Desmond. Amsterdam at the same time uses words in the confession booth that are totally uncalled for in a house of worship! Amsterdam lets Desmond have it about his involvement with Fazerda which was nothing more then giving her a free ride back to town but made it sound, in his wild and obscene language, like he broke all of the Ten Commandments?
We now go back to the present as a both much older and wiser Desmond and Tom reminisce about the good old times that I feel they both would like to forget with Desmond taking Tom outside his Abby and showing him the plot of land that he reserved for his finial resting place. As the ending credits start rolling down the screen you start talking to yourself at home or, to the guy sitting next to you, in the theater in just trying to figure out what you saw on the screen and wonder if you were at all wide awake and sober when you saw it!