True Colors

Spader and Cusack did a phenomenal job and representing the system of society which allows those with the right friends and the ability to always manipulate circumstances to their advantage (thus having little or no moral compass) to become powerful people on the political map.Having been raised in this environment and observing how deals are made and blind eyes in abundance along with very limited memory spans when called into account. I can say it triggered a lot of incidents. I am glad I walked away from that environment! Other than "Wag the Dog", this movie shows why honest people rarely go beyond the lowest political seats.

Enjoyed seeing James Spader and John Cusack; two of the greatest of the 80s and 90s. Enjoyed the plot; them knowing one another since college, and into their diverging career paths.Worth a watch for sure.

This movie is kind of like "Wall Street" but in a political, Capitol Hill setting as opposed to a stock market, banking setting. I like the concept of two friends starting out at the same time and one turning corrupt to gain votes on Capitol Hill while the other is not interested in power but more in doing the right thing, joining the Justice Department. But I think the performances were not very believable by any of the actors. I dont know if it is his youthful, bratty, baby face demeanor but John Cusack was just not convincing as the corrupt, soul-less and power hungry villain they made him out to be. He totally could not pull that off. I actually had sympathy for him and didn't think he was that bad at all. In fact, he was not doing anything politicians in his place havent been doing for the past 200 years. Politicians need to remain in office and that requires money and the entities with money and lobbyists stationed 24/7 in DC will be the ones influencing representatives, not the common man who elected them. In exchange for their money, therefore, politicians often have to do things that go against the very nature of the democratic process. Now right or wrong, that is unfortunately the reality of the situation and a serious short coming of the system. As Spader said, that is just the nature of the beast. For anyone to think otherwise is naive. So what Cusack was doing wasn't even that outlandish. He just made the mistake of getting caught.The love story was total bogus too and the chemistry between Spader, Cusack and the female love interest (Imogen Stubbs) was non existent. She was terrible, did not possess an ounce of spark or charm and felt more like a stand in than an actual character one man would betray his best friend for. And he doesnt even love her. In "Legends of the Fall" the love the two brothers had for the female lead was palpable. Here it felt insincere. Also, dont men have this unwritten honor code that you dont mess with your best buddy's girl?The rise and downfall of Cusack's character, Peter Burton, was also not very convincing. Unlike "Wall Street" where we got to witness quite intricately the rise and then demise of Charlie Sheen's character with all the emotional struggles, ups and downs and changes that come with it on all levels of his life, none of that transformation was visible here. These are supposed be two friends, one of whom climbs the social ladder quite steeply and taps into the power corners of DC while the other remains his innocence and the struggle that ensues. But none of that was visible here or even convincingly played out. In fact, you cannot tell when Burton's rise begins and when it ends.These are fantastic and quite capable actors so it must be the script and directing as I did not feel that these two truly inhabited their roles and the desired effect (Cusack = villain, Spader = attorney goody shoes, woman = biggest love of their lives) was just not reached. I found Spader's character to lack the kind of luster and ferociousness I know he can bring to his roles, and Cusack seemed more like a misguided, lost college boy with puppy eyes than a ruthless manipulator who gets his way. All these "disconnects" lead to the deliverance of an unconvincing, stale story. While overall I think it is an entertaining movie for a lazy evening of cheesy early 90s movies, I think the writers and director missed the mark on nearly all accounts.

I have lately been on a James Spader jag, so I was delighted to find this from early in his career. The chronic pouty smirk from "Pretty in Pink" and the confident smirk from "Boston Legal" are gone. In its place is a character who plays by the rules and doesn't make himself up to be something he is not... which is precisely the role of John Cusack. I kept thinking that with a bit of legerdemain, one could easily have reversed the actors in the roles (See Face Off) and it would have been just as good a picture, since Spader could have played it with his smarmy character and Cusack would be on the up and up, Not a 'great' movie, but a good viewing for the election year.

This is a great story but a little cheezy and predictable. Again, great story, but that same old plot line that since I was not born into wealth I must bend a lot of rules to succeed "and you just don't understand." That line of reasoning is so pissy and stupid it reduced my star vote from at least 4 to a good 3. I don't know, maybe I didn't see that as a 27 yo when I saw it the first time, but really sunk in 30 years later.I'm a James Spader and John Cusack fan, and of course Richard Widmark from the old days so I enjoyed seeing them in the movie. I felt most sorry for the Imogen Stubbs character. What a loss realizing some years after your youth you perhaps made the wrong decision in life (probably didn't hit at 27 but really hits home 30 years later). But, my favorite was James Spader's character which was one of the few with integrity.

John Cusack and James Spader, what a combination! Excellent and passionate acting from both of them - FTW!

No doubt 25 years later, True Colors has faded. The politics it describes--the backstabbing, the corrupt deals, voters as pawns in a game they typically lose, all that and more is taken for granted in our time. Unlike today, the reality described in True Colors is predictable. Despite these limitations, the movie has its strengths: good acting, fast pace, age-old moral dilemmas that have not lost their bite. Worth seeing. 3 1/2 stars

Interesting slice of the 80's and 90's era. Reminded me of my time in college and what the times were like. The acting was very good overall and the chemistry between the two lead actors is strong. However, I did have a hard time with John Cusack being the corrupt politician. He just doesn't have that edge of ruthlessness about him that would be necessary to carry it off the role.

Two of my favourite actors, whats not to like

It's a good movie about love, trust and betrayal. A young Cusack and Spader work well together and it's an enjoyable movie. There's nothing ground breaking to make it stand out from any other political ladder-climbing films, but if you are a fan of either of the two leads, you'll be happy.

Ce sont les meilleurs amis du monde. Bientôt ce seront les pires ennemis.John Cusack et James Spader incarnent, dans cette histoire dramatique et passionnante, deux amis qui quittent la faculté de droit pour les hautes sphéres du pouvoir de Washington.Cusack joue Peter, un arriviste prolétaire qui s'élève au rang de membre du congrés en trahissant tous ceux qui lui avaient jamais fait confiance, y compris Tim(Spader), son copain idéaliste de sang bleu. Bien sûr Tim ne s'opposerait jamais à un ami... Sauf pour se venger de sa énième trahison.Ce film nous dresse un portrait de l'univers du pouvoir, celui où pour gagner il ne faut pas s'embarrasser des amis et autres amours, où celui qui a déjà une prédominance au mensonge usera de tous les moyens pour arriver. Cusack est criant de vérité dans son rôle d'arriviste égocentrique qui ne respecte rien ni personne et Spader est troublant en homme trop honnête que la trahison va toutefois faire changer irrémédiablement.De la justice au pouvoir, du pouvoir à la justice, il n'y a qu'un fil à franchir... ou non !

Film ist top! Hab den echt überall gesucht bin schon fast verzweifelt... Manche meinten den gibts nicht und dann hier durch Zufall entdeckt. Gekauft für 1 Cent bei Toyboxx besser gehts nicht! Hab den Film am Feiertag bestellt und 2 Tage später war der bei mir!

Sehr interessanter Film, auch was die Leistung der beiden Hauptdarsteller angeht! Leider war ich nicht sehr glücklich über Cusack's Synchronstimme, aber auf Englisch sieht das gleich anders aus!