The Unbelievable Truth (1989)
Runtime: 90 mins
Synopsis: 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... 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. [More]
Genre: Comedies
Starring: Robert John Burke, Adrienne Shelly, Christopher Cooke, Jeffrey Howard, Edie Falco
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Reviews
In this lyrically offbeat fable, Hartley, the most Godardian of American indies, takes the audience to familiar-looking yet utterly strange places, like working class Long Island, where his bizarrely charming romance takes place; still his best film.
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