A Incrível Verdade

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.

"The Unbelievable Truth" is a funny and often beautiful film that seeks to find the sweet and humorous within the darkest of subject matter. At times it is darkly comic and borderline cynical, while at others it is extraordinarily romantic and melodramatic. These two tones do not clash and conflict like one would expect, instead they both morph into one another- showcasing the ups and downs of life. During a very dramatic scene, writer-director Hal Hartley will sneak in a hilarious moment or line and masterfully weave it into the moment in such a way that it feels natural rather than rough.

For a film shot on such a low budget, it is highly impressive in almost every conceivable manner. However, it naturally is littered with flaws that distracted me from the movie watching experience. The sound design can be awful at times because of the sometimes constant cutting in and out of audio-reminiscent of the infamous "Birdemic" (although it isn't nearly as bad or as noticeable). Also, while some of the performances are pretty great and, at times, hilarious, some of them are overly wooden and annoying. It also feels as if its trying a little too hard to be quirky and different at times, plus its got some pacing issues and felt a lot longer than 90 minutes to me, which is only a minor complaint in this case because what was going on during those 90 minutes was fascinating.

Since this movie is so beautiful and tender in its humor and romance, I recommend it for most audiences who can handle a slightly slower and more "artsy" little movie.

Mind you, it's a wafer thin storyline. A heart-warming little story of an ex-convict returning to a city, and the infatuation of the local Lolita has for him, it touches you, ever so softly, from behind the facade of the boisterous small town existence and the foibles of the small group of townspeople who form the nucleus of the story. At the end of it, you're glad you sat down to watch it - it's a laid-back mind-soother, which leaves you with a warm feeling all over.

What elevates the film by several rungs is, however, the superb performance of Robert Burke as the mercurial, unpredictable and enigmatic Joshua Hutton, who leaves you ambivalent about his real intentions till the very end, when all is revealed. Supporting him, ably, is the petite Adrienne Shelly, who may not be strictly pretty, but has an elfin charm - not really a little girl any more, but not yet a woman. They complement each other perfectly, and it is this chemistry that makes the film glow, and forms the perfect foil to the humdrum backdrop of everything else that is going on.

It's rewarding, and relaxing, viewing - a perfect de-stresser, if there ever was one. If you can get hold of a copy, hold on, tight.

Audry (Adrienne Shelly) is a brainy and beautiful girl living in Long Island. She has just been accepted to Harvard, no less, but has to bargain with her father about attending the famous school. She is just turning 18 and wants to major in literature. Father insists on her getting a part time job and choosing to study communications. At this moment on LI, also, a convicted man has just returned to his home turf. His name is Josh and no one is sure what he did, but it seems that he killed two or more people. Audry has a chance meeting with him and is smitten. She even gets him a job at her father's automobile shop. How in the world is this a match made in heaven? No description is really adequate to relate the events in this film. Rather than plot driven, it is a quirky, intelligent film where conversation and the unexpected reign mightily. The script is just stunning. Where else, I might suggest, can you view a film that offers explanations on the merits of Moliere's Misanthrope and the workings of a car's transmission apparatus? All of the actors, the costumes, the look, and the direction of the film are very, very worthy, too. (Sadly, Ms. Shelly was murdered in 2006 in NYC). There is a smattering of bad language and the subject matter is adult, so the movie is not suitable for an underage audience. Nevertheless, if you definitely want to take a walk down the aisle of vintage, independent films, pick this one up without delay. It is a gem, even years after its creation.

It would be true to say that there is not much action here, no bloody fights or car chases but it is just so endearing. Adrienne Shelly and Robert John Burke do well as lost idealist and not so new man in town respectively but everyone contributes. Hal Hartley performs magic with his inexperienced cast to involve us so inextricably with a developing and very human situation that really has nowhere to go. The dialogue is spot on and it is a joy to watch the character interchange and feel the tangible electricity between this disparate group as the electricity of past events, much mistold, unravel and retie. Masterful.