难以置信的事实

Fraught with over obvious symbolism, Hartley&#39s early feature is nonetheless a joy to watch. Hal here shows us his uncanny ability to cast his characters perfectly came early in his carr. Adrienne Shelley is a near perfect foil to herself, equal parts annoying tn 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 carr beginning with photos of her foot – culminating her doing nude (but unsn) work Manhattan move Europe trip her stealing, then slping 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, aept his lot and begin a new life. Dressed in black, and repeatedly mistaken for a priest, he corrects everyone (&quotI&#39m a mechanic&quot), yet the symbolism is rich: he abstains from alcohol, he practices celibacy (is, in fact a virgin), and smingly has taken on vows of poverty, and humility as well. The humility sms hardest to swallow sming, at times, almost false, a pretense. Yet, as we learn more of Josh we s genuineness in his modesty, that his humility is indd earnest and believable. What sms 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 betwn Josh and Jane (a wonderful, young Edie Falco . . . &quotYou nd a woman not a girl&quot) is hilarious . . . real. But Hartley can&#39t leave it as such and his trick, having the actors repeat the dialogue over-and-over becomes frustratingly &quotarty&quot and annoying . . . until again it becomes hilarious. What a terrific sense of bizarre reality this lends the film (like kids in a perpetual &quotam not&quot/&quotare too&quot argument). Hartley&#39s weaves all of a small neighborhood&#39s idiosyncrasies into a tapestry of sming stereotypes but which delves far beneath the surface, the catalyst being that everyone believes they know what the &quotunbelievable truth&quot of the title is, yet no two people can agr (including our hero) on what exactly that truth is. A wonderful little movie with some big ideas.