Rating: 
Summary: Mental Masturbation on the topic of NeoNazi's
Review: Powerful, intelligent movie that presents good arguments on both sides. People looking for another American History X or even Romper Stomper will be disappointed by the cerebral nature of the movie as opposed to visceral which was presented in other said titles. Highly reccomended for anyone interested in philosophy, theology, or just debate in general. For those looking for lots of violence, swearing, crying and general dramatization (which can be good, as was the case with American History X) is also reccomended to see it, but warned that there's a lot more talking in this and less action.
Rating:
Summary: "There's nothing up there."
Review: I have never seen a more profound dissection of the Jewish faith on screen. The movie Pi is bold in its presentation of the more radical elements of the Jewish faith but this one ups the ante. Oddly enough, I found myself more drawn to it than repulsed by it. It seems to me this too is the case of the character played, quite brilliantly, by Ryan Gosling.What I found quite interesting is that Danny, Gosling's character, was, perhaps to a fault, strong willed and strong minded enough to challenge, through himself, the Jewish people as a whole. He was not a Jew hater but one who held strong beliefs about his faith. This is his conflict. There is no need for psychological background: this in and of itself is the explanation. The issues are presented plainly and clearly. The implications, however, are what confound the viewer. I can honestly say this is one of the boldest proclamations on the Jewish faith in the world I've witnessed. It isn't pretty to watch and it is quite shocking, even offensive, if you close your mind to what's being said. But if you listen, and really contemplate what is presented, you'll find moments of brilliance and deep theological insight that stick.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely, without a doubt, the greatest movie!!!
Review: Have you ever felt anger, relief, excitement, and confusion all at the same time; not sure whether you are able to grasp what just happened? This movie is amazing. There are some minor inconsistencies (his level of orthodoxy is quite contradictory)that would only bother someone somewhat exposed to Jewish customs - but they have little effect on the brilliance of the film. Buy it and watch it everyday, make all your friends and family watch it. Learn from it and experience the most amazing ending in any movie I have ever seen. Amazing!
Rating: 
Summary: "Don't you know there's nothing up there?"
Review: I have mixed feelings about this film. First, one reviewer compared Gosling's performance to De Niro in Taxi Driver which is a travesty. While turning in a good performance, Gosling is in no way as chilling or believable as De Niro was as Travis Bickle. Taxi Driver is a landmark of American cinema...this is not. Now to the film. The Believer is based on a true story about a Jew who becomes so disenfranchised with his religion he decides to become it's antithesis: a nazi. This is a more than interesting premise that is pulled off fairly well mainly due to the strong performance of Ryan Gosling. Gosling's character is near genius and tortured. He, deep down, loves and respects the tenets of Judiaism but because of scarring experiences during his formative teenage years he choses to disprove the "lies" and illuminate the contradictions of his religion rather than embrace it. There is some violence in The Believer but it is rather tame by industry standards. The real pain in this film is felt emotionally by it's protagonist. Gosling has chosen a career making role here and I couldn't help but gain respect for this gutsy career choice. The temple scene is a little overly dramatic, but hey this is big budget hollywood we're talking about. I will say this, the ending of this film has stuck with me and made me think about life in general for weeks now, so this film has definitely made an impact on me. Will it for you? Who knows, but it's worth a try. Highly Recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Uncomfortable, Unsettling -- Well Worth the Effort
Review: THE BELIEVER was a very uncomfortable experience but one that was well worth my time and mental/emotional energy. Ryan Gosling's performance was spectacular and deserves any comparisons he might get to Edward Norton in AMERICAN HISTORY X (Norton was nominated for an Oscar. . .). He seems so conflicted throughout the film and conveys this very intimately and explicitly on regular and frequent occasions. If I had seen it before AHX, I might have given it five stars, but I saw (and loved) AHX several years ago and loved the whole thing. Several similarities seemed very avoidable, and they only served to make me want to compare the two films--not fair to either. Where this movie really earns its stars (and perhaps another half or so) is in its frank discussion of some very complex theological issues. Gosling's character does not mind sharing some fascinating facts about Judaism that I was not previously familiar with, and this feature makes it so much more than a "remake" of AHX. Rather than Norton's spectacular turnaround--"conversion" if you will--Gosling stays conflicted to the end. That conflict is very compelling and very unsettling. It's not a movie I'd want to see over and over again (I don't think), but the one viewing was a great ride and a great example of complicated theological thinking/believing (or not believing. . .). Bottom Line: If you liked AMERICAN HISTORY X, you should like this movie--it has a similar-sounding premise but takes off in a whole different direction very quickly. Gosling is spectacular (I can't wait to see him reappear) and deserves major recognition for his performance. This movie is well worth a rental, even if you decide not to own it.
Rating:
Summary: Disturbing, Provocative, but Worthwhile
Review: When it comes to a film such as The Believer, the film deserves the highest praise. The movie won an award at Sundance in 2001and it is easy to see why it deserves to be honored. The Believer is deeply disturbing, but the qualities which make the film rather disturbing also makes it convincing. The expression there is a fine line between love and hate aptly fits this film. The protagonist has a love/hate relationship with his Jewish heritage, which drives him to extremes. It is a masterfully written piece about an angry young man named Daniel Biliant played masterfully by Ryan Gossling. We meet Danny as this fascist neo-Nazi. He has a deep hatred for Jewish people, but he also has a vast knowledge about the Jewish faith. He claims his reason for his hatred is due to his belief that one has to know one's enemies. The truth is that he is wrestling with the pain and tragedy of Jewish history and cannot understand in his mind at least, why the Jewish people never fought back. Danny's faith and questions haunt him throughout the film, and a conversion of heart seems about ready to take place quite a few times, but viewers will have to decide if a conversion ever takes place, and given the complex nature of this film, the answers could be quite varied. The film exposes the complete absurdity of anti-Semitism. It also exposes hatred so well, this film will challenge all viewers to look squarely at prejudice, and the irrationality of prejudice. We also meet well dressed "Yuppie" fascists as well as skinhead punks in the film, showing that hatred can show its ugly face in any setting, regardless of wealth and education. It's too bad that the film did not receive greater attention when it was first released in theatres. Its powerful message has lessons that our country still needs to hear, and perhaps in this post 9-11 world, we need to reexamine the message of this film as we try and understand hatred, and the damage that hatred has done, can do, and will continue to do, until the issue is looked at squarely.
Rating:
Summary: Deeply unsettling. Very important.
Review: The Believer (Henry Bean, 2001) Veteran screenwriter Henry Bean (Internal Affairs, Deep Cover) steps behind the camera for the first time in The Believer, which stars Ryan Gosling (Breaker High) as an anti-Semitic fascist who also happens to be a Jew. The movie premiered at Sundance in 2001 to great acclaim, then was shelved halfway through a distribution deal thanks to protests from the Simon Wiesenthal Center. (It finally did a achieve a very limited theatrical release in May of 2002 in New York City, but for most of the country, it's straight-to-video.) The film is roughly what one would expect from this kind of film being made in today's political climate; bad boy surrounds himself with other bad boys, but finds redemption in the end. The beauty of the film, however, lies in how Gosling's character achieves redemption (it could, in fact, be argued that he never does; he is without doubt conflicted until, and after, the movie's very last frame). Rather than the "befriend a minority" tactic of American History X or the "let's listen to holocaust survivors" tactic of a hundred other previous films (both of which, in fact, get some airplay here with much more realistic results), the main character in the film starts conflicted; he just doesn't realize it, although we are given enough clues from the get-go to understand what's going on in his head before he does. Once he finally does get it, he's intelligent enough to realize what's going on and fear it, while still desiring it, in some way. In other words, he might be the most intelligent main character in a movie since movies were invented. There's no point after he realizes what's going on where you look at the screen and yell "don't go in the basement, stupid!" That alone is enough to make this film noteworthy (and probably banish it into undeserved obscurity forever, since getting something out of this movie requires thought on the part of the viewer-anathema to American moviegoers, for the most part). Because of all this, the movie ends up being extremely unsettling in ways that are impossible to describe. Gosling and Bean force you to identify with Gosling's character, no matter how little you have in common with him, by making him as much an Everyman as possible given his extreme viewpoint (even the other fascists with whom he associates consider him something of a walking time bomb, though they don't hesitate to try and use him to their own ends). This is not necessarily a film to be enjoyed, but it is an important one. Definitely worth your time if you like asking yourself lots of questions after a movie is over. ****
Rating:
Summary: [wow!!!]
Review: this is an amazing true story of a jewish man who is also a neo-nazi. It is almost disturbing as a jew that this actually happned and the magnitude of the story couldn't have been even thought up as fiction. Highly recommended if you liked such movies as The Bad Lieutenant and Bully.
Rating:
Summary: If prejudice had a name it would be Danny Balint
Review: The Believer is a remarkable true story of a neo nazi (some one in the present who had the same prejudice beliefs as Nazis) who has to fight between his group of other neo nazis or his heritage. His Jewish heritage. This movie is not for the weak at heart or anyone who cannot interprit the many prespectives of this film. This film will leave you questioning your own faith and prejudice and the ending will leave you wondering: was Danny right?
Rating: 
Summary: Self-loathing leads to self-destruction
Review: Ryan Gosling gives an excellent performance of a person who hates himself for things that are beyond his control. The problem with the film is that it did not leave us with a clear moral for this sad story. Still it was an interesting and fairly well done film that dared to asked questions about the extent of our self-loathing and how it impacts our lives. The most disturbing part of the film is the end where Danny climbs the stairs to God, and his Teacher tells him there is nothing there. I think the character is redeemed by his act of saving the people's lives in the synagogue which outweighed all the bad acts he had previously committed, but I really wish the film had focused on the implications of self-destructive behavior - aside from the obvious. Personally, I think Danny found God at the top of the stairs. ;=)
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