Institute History
Description
On-the-rise New York Times Magazine writer Michael Finkel receives troubling news from his editors that he is accused of falsifying part of an investigative piece on child laborers in Africa. Jobless and disgraced, Michael retreats from the city and falls into a depression. One day, he hears startling news that a fugitive accused of murdering his family was captured in Mexico claiming the identity of "Michael Finkel of The New York Times." Intrigued by the story, he travels to interview the accused, identified as Christian Longo, to help save his name.
Rupert Goold’s shrewd first feature pits Jonah Hill against James Franco in a psychological cat-and-mouse game obscured by many "truths." As the two calculating men share their stories in private, their similarities become clear while their motivations are less so. David Kajganich scripts Finkel’s memoir into a subtle portrait of an unlikely friendship. —C.R.