The Unbelievable Truth

Rating:
Summary: I Haven't seen it yet
Review: As in The Book of Life, Hartley exaggerates the limitations he's given so that they seem like a style. And, they are. Burke isn't the block of wood he seemed to be the first time I saw this, and Adrian Shelley crawls under your skin and lays eggs that hatch days, weeks, and even months later. And the script? Hard to do it justice, but I will say that this is one for repeated viewings. Don't rent it, buy it! You won't be sorry.

Also on DVD. At last.

Rating:
Summary: rereleased at last.
Review: As in The Book of Life, Hartley exaggerates the limitations he's given so that they seem like a style. And, they are. Burke isn't the block of wood he seemed to be the first time I saw this, and Adrian Shelley crawls under your skin and lays eggs that hatch days, weeks, and even months later. And the script? Hard to do it justice, but I will say that this is one for repeated viewings. Don't rent it, buy it! You won't be sorry.

Also available on VHS again. Finally.

Rating:
Summary: Unbelievable Fun
Review: Fraught with over obvious symbolism, Hartley's early feature is nonetheless a joy to watch. Hal here shows us his uncanny ability to cast his characters perfectly came early in his career.

Adrienne Shelley is a near perfect foil to herself, equal parts annoying teen burgeoning in her sexuality (though using sex for several years); obsessed with doom and inspired by idealism gone wrong she is deceptively - and simultaneously - complex and simple. Her Audrey inspires so many levels of symbolism it is almost embarrassingly rich (e.g., her modeling career beginning with photos of her foot - culminating her doing nude (but unseen) work; Manhattan move; Europe trip; her stealing, then sleeping with the mechanics wrench, etc.)

As Josh, Robert Burke gives an absolutely masterful performance. A reformed prisoner/penitent he returns to his home town to face down past demons, accept his lot and begin a new life. Dressed in black, and repeatedly mistaken for a priest, he corrects everyone ("I'm a mechanic"), yet the symbolism is rich: he abstains from alcohol, he practices celibacy (is, in fact a virgin), and seemingly has taken on vows of poverty, and humility as well. The humility seems hardest to swallow seeming, at times, almost false, a pretense. Yet, as we learn more of Josh we see genuineness in his modesty, that his humility is indeed earnest and believable. What seems ironic is the character is fairly forthright in his simplicity, yet so richly drawn it becomes the viewer who wants to make him out as more than what he actually is. A fascinatingly written character, perfectly played.

The scene between Josh and Jane (a wonderful, young Edie Falco . . . "You need a woman not a girl") is hilarious . . . real. But Hartley can't leave it as such and his trick, having the actors repeat the dialogue over-and-over becomes frustratingly "arty" and annoying . . . until again it becomes hilarious. What a terrific sense of bizarre reality this lends the film (like kids in a perpetual "am not"/"are too" argument).

Hartley's weaves all of a small neighborhood's idiosyncrasies into a tapestry of seeming stereotypes but which delves far beneath the surface, the catalyst being that everyone believes they know what the "unbelievable truth" of the title is, yet no two people can agree (including our hero) on what exactly that truth is. A wonderful little movie with some big ideas.

Rating:
Summary: Hablo espanol
Review: I adore this film. I love the...well I guess you could call it the ambiance of the whole world the characters interact in. I also love the dialog as well. But I have to admit I am curious as to why it is only offered here with Spanish subtitles?

Rating:
Summary: Must be good movie
Review: I haven't seen this movie yet, but where is TRUST? Who can forget that movie and the dialogue and the plot and the memorable music? For heaven's sakes, why isn't this out on DVD? Amazon, read this...Trust, by Hal Hartley

Rating:
Summary: I Haven't seen it yet
Review: I haven't seen this movie, but i am very happy that finally another Hal Hartley film hsd come on DVD, i just ordered it today, and i sure hope that later other Hal Hartley films come out on DVD, i will later send a letter to Sony Pictures to realese it.

Rating:
Summary: My favorite Hartley Film
Review: If you like Trust and Simple Men then you'll love this film. Personally I love all of Hartley's works, but to me these three films just go so well together. They're all earlier works and in these films you witness an incredibley inspired director do more with a low budget film than most high paid directors could ever dream of doing. I'd also like to say that if you've never seen a Hal Hartley film then this is probably the best point to start out at.

Rating:
Summary: The Best Movie My Brother Ever Bought Me
Review: The Unbelievable Truth is the only movie I have ever seen that captures the exact feeling of falling hard in love with someone that you hardly know. Ah, planetary gears and Robert Burke...What's a girl to do?! It's a truly funny film and it turned me into a Hal Hartley [director] fan.

Rating:
Summary: Brilliant
Review: This is one of my favorite movies of all time. Quirky to the last. Everytime you watch it you find something new. I especially like how all the fight scenes are nothing more than pushing matches. All the performances are wonderful. It was a real treat when I discovered this movie and you would be sorely missing out if you never saw this great movie. And that's the unbelievable truth.

Rating:
Summary: Favorite of all time
Review: This is one of the silliest, entertaining, and delightful films I know of. I worked in an art theater for a while, watching it over and over during my shifts and I still can't wait to share it with people who haven't seen it. It is a very fun film to sit through, even after you know all the lines.