The Unbelievable Truth

decent music, poor acting, decent story, poor direction and rubbish location choices.

didn't really work for me....the dialogue was too forced and stylizedand the characters just a bit too wooden...i just stayed with it, but was tempted to switch it off a few times. I held on in the hope that it would develop, but If truth be told it was a bit irritating

With today's habit of producing movies which are capable of causing DVT in the viewer due to excessive running times (great on a long haul flight maybe but sittting in a cinema not as good) this is a little gem of a film.

It concerns the return of Josh ( Robert Burke - great performance) to his home town (a suburb of New York on Long Island as far as I could make out, but I may be wrong). Josh has been in jail and gradually his story emerges during his relationship with Audry, the daughter of the local garage owner and his contacts with other members of the community.

The dialogue in this film is quirky and weaves around like a slalom skier on an Austrian Alp! One scene involves an almost circular ring of dialogue which had me laughing out loud.

Although the film starts rather slowly I urge you to let yourself relax into it and you will be rewarded with some fine performances and a satisfying ending which works really well.

This film is also notable for being Edie Falco's ( Carmela Soprano; Nurse Jackie, etc.) first screen appearance.

Highly Recommended especially for young film-makers who want to see a masterclass in technique

This film has all the Hal Hartley traits:

Quirky, enigmatic characters who speak their mind,

misunderstood outsiders who gain acceptance whilst remaining themselves, and,

a simple storyline which may not have a surprising outcome but nevertheless contains many surprises along the way.

The film is a must for its good storytelling with a unique voice.

I saw about four Hal Hartley films more or less as they came out many years ago, and decided to watch them all again now I've joined a DVD rental club. The Unbelievable Truth is still fresh and Hartleyesque (?!) but some of the touches (such as the repeat conversation between the main character and the waitress) seem forced now; perhaps, with hindsight, evidence of a talent still unsure of itself. The lead performances are strong, some of the minor characters less so, but for anyone who wants a good introduction to Hartley, this is as good as any place to start.