In Hal Hartley's first feature film, THE UNBELIEVABLE TRUTH, Josh (Robert Burke), a criminal who has just been released from prison, returns home to Lindenhurst, Long Island. There he's hired as a mechanic by Vic Hugo (Christopher Cooke), the owner of a local garage. Through a mutual interest in George Washington, Josh falls in .. Read more
| Starring | Adrienne Shelly, Robert Burke, Christopher Cooke, Edie Falco |
|---|---|
| Director | Hal Hartley |
| Genres | Comedy |
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In Hal Hartley's first feature film, THE UNBELIEVABLE TRUTH, Josh (Robert Burke), a criminal who has just been released from prison, returns home to Lindenhurst, Long Island. There he's hired as a mechanic by Vic Hugo (Christopher Cooke), the owner of a local garage. Through a mutual interest in George Washington, Josh falls in love with Vic's daughter, Audry (Adrienne Shelly). However, their romance proves to be difficult due to Audry's possessive ex-boyfriend and the mystery surrounding Josh's past.
THE UNBELIEVABLE TRUTH effectively establishes Hartley's unique aesthetic, which is darkly humorous, oddly clever, and subtly meditative. Rather than merely hint at their thoughts, the characters in this film (and other Hartley films) tend to speak exactly what they're thinking, openly expressing things often left unsaid. A quirky take on the romantic comedy, this is the debut of a highly original American filmmaker.
| Starring | Adrienne Shelly, Robert Burke, Christopher Cooke, Edie Falco |
|---|---|
| Director | Hal Hartley |
| Studio | C'EST LA VIE |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 26 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Comedy |
| Language | DVD: English |
| Released | Production year: 1989 To Rent: DVD: 29 Mar 2004 |
Although it has echoes of a popular soap opera in its celebration of the mundane, Hal Hartley's feature debut (shot in just 11 days) is the closest thing yet to a suburban western — a sort of Shane on Long Island. Robert Burke is suitably terse and mysterious as the man in black (is he a killer or a priest?) who gives discontented Adrienne Shelly something more to think about than parental suffocation, nuclear holocaust and teenage romance. Full of quirky conversations and eccentric characters (who pride themselves on being normal), the film riddles its small-town idyll with well-aimed pot shots. The ending feels forced, however, and Hartley's direction is occasionally over-intrusive.
9 out of 9 people found this review helpful
A classic Hartley comedy...
An early, but still distinctively 'Hartley' film. I love how Hartley plays with innocence and irony in his characters and always manages to make me ... read more »
[Highly rated reviewer]
Quirky and funny
This film has all the Hal Hartley traits:
Quirky, enigmatic characters who speak their mind,
misunderstood outsiders who gain acceptance ... read more »
1 out of 3 people found this review helpful
Early promise
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... read more »
a hidden gem
this is a charming little film.
funny, sensitive and very well written, if you're into independent films, you will like this.
Sweet yet surprisingly tart, this summer sleeper is one of the feel-good movies of the year - or it would be, if it didn't come with such a sad back-story. We'll get to that later, let's talk about the film first. The lovely Keri Russell (best known for her long-running US series Felicity) plays Jenna, one of three waitresses at Joe's Diner, an old fashioned joint on some dusty southern road. In particular, the regulars cherish Jenna's pies, especially the daily special, which has a way of... Read more
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