framptonhollis "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.

SnoopyStyle Josh Hutton (Robert John Burke) leaves prison and returns into town. Pearl is shocked by his return. Audry Hugo (Adrienne Shelly) is a depressed cynical teen. She is accepted into Harvard but doesn't see the point of going. Her boyfriend is callous to her concerns. She suggests a mechanics job at her dad's garage to Hutton. Everybody starts to speculate what he actually did.Hal Hartley has written some mannered and artificial dead pan humor. I actually like that but it has to be delivered expertly. The delivery is lacking from most of these actors and the directing is not quite there. I can see good potential for something great. Adrienne is not really young enough for the teen role. Her character could have been written as a twenty something. Overall, this is an interesting indie that could have been more compelling.

MattPage Dude, thats the point.Hartley throws every movie cliché in the book at this one and tips his hat to numerous other films in the process. I've only seen one other of his films (Book of Life) but you can see how he went down the formalism / "exploring the limits of the medium" route in more sophisticated ways.My favourite bit was when he's telling the sad story and his friend is playing all the usual cheesy soundtrack notes as he goes along. Very funnyGet a load of friends round and have a good laugh. Matt Page

Reid-14 I surely don't understand the hype which surrounds this movie. Yes, it has a certain indie edginess to it, but the script is mostly annoying and the acting is dreadful. This film is, indeed, unbelievable, but not even remotely connected to any truth I know of.