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.
主演:保罗·路德,麦肯娜·格瑞丝,菲恩·伍法德,库梅尔·南贾尼,凯莉·库恩,比尔·默瑞,埃涅·赫德森,丹·艾克罗伊德,帕顿·奥斯瓦尔特,威廉·阿瑟东,塞莱斯特·奥康纳, 洛根金 ,詹姆斯·艾克斯特,Damian Muziani,Natalie Cousteau,艾米莉·吴,艾米丽·阿琳·林德,Paul O'Kelly,Evelyn Anne Bulls,Kalisha A. Johnson
主演:梅根·福克斯,斯蒂芬·阿梅尔,威尔·阿奈特,皮特·普劳泽克,阿兰·里奇森,杰瑞米·霍华德,诺尔·费舍,布莱恩·泰,泰勒·派瑞,约翰尼·诺克斯维尔,托尼·夏尔赫布,弗莱德·阿米森,劳拉·琳妮,亚历桑德拉·安布罗休,威廉·菲德内尔,丹尼·伍德伯恩,茱蒂斯·哈格,加里·安东尼·威廉斯,希莫斯
主演:古川登志夫,片石千春,中尾隆圣,宫内幸平,津田延代,藤田淑子,阪脩,银河万丈,户谷公次,堀川亮,田中和实,平野正人,中田和宏,挂川裕彦,萩森侚子
主演:草尾毅,佐佐木望,山寺宏一,高冈早纪,矢尾一树,安宅誠,土井美加,阪脩,久保田雅人
主演:古谷彻,鹤广美,原惠理子,绪方贤一,富泽美智惠,本多知惠子,难波圭一,龙田直树
主演:島田敏,速水奨,玄田哲章,渡辺猛
主演:罗刚,纪玲,解蕾,陈继东