78qqq

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

群山环绕的小山村里，双胞胎姐妹大燕、小燕和身患重病的母亲相依为命。几年前，父亲去世后，家里就失去主要的经济来源，而母亲的常年重病缠身，无疑让山村里这个原本就困难的家庭雪上加霜。为了完成小学的学业，大燕、小燕一边照顾重病的母亲，一边靠捡破烂换维持生活，终于以优异的成绩读完了小学。转眼间，暑假就过去了。看着同村其他的孩子在父母的陪伴下，高高兴兴地去上初中，大燕、小燕的心里开始为对于她俩来说格外昂贵的学费犯愁。尽管老村长在开学前送来的家庭特困证明，减轻了大燕、小燕的学费困难，但母亲卧病在床需要照顾的现实，让姐妹俩从欣喜中重新陷入两难的抉择。为了照顾母亲，和能继续捡破烂挣钱给母亲治病，大燕、小燕相互谦让上学名额，最终还是大燕将上学的名额让给了妹妹小燕。学校在小山村八九里外的地方。为鼓励小燕上学，老村长还特意把自家的自行车送给了小燕。开学当天，小燕才知道特困生虽然免了很多项费用，但校服费和其他加在一起仍然高达一百四十八块钱的费用，让没有校服的小燕只能站在教室里，远远地看着同学们穿着整齐的校服参加升国旗仪式。因为上学机会的来之不易，小燕学习起来格外努力。但每当想起背着箩筐捡破烂的姐姐、尤其是在一次放学回来后，小燕看到姐姐还在偷偷翻着初中课本时，小燕想出一个主意，利用她们双胞胎的特殊身份做掩护，轮流上学，轮流捡破烂。同样渴望上学的姐姐接受了妹妹了建议。从那以后，大燕、小燕轮流上学，放学后再把当天学习的内容和学校发生的事情讲给对方。几过月过去了。大燕、小燕姐妹俩利用双胞胎的特殊身份轮流上学的事，还是被细心的同桌冯蔻蔻发现了。得知姐妹俩的不幸后，冯蔻蔻非但没有声张，还为姐妹俩的事迹所感动。和冯蔻蔻一样关心、帮助着大燕、小燕的，还有学校的老校长。在老校长的提议下，姐妹俩不仅有了一套羡慕已久的校服，还在学校实行的特困生助学金计划中获得每月六十元钱的补助。大燕、小燕利用双胞胎的特殊身份轮流上学的事，最终因为大燕和冯蔻蔻在路边捡了一个报废的交通指示牌卖给废品收购站后，受到派出所的追查而被学校发现。因为担心被警察追究，大燕、小燕再也不敢轮流来上学了，直到派出所查实路牌确属报废之后，姐妹俩悬着的一颗心才算放了下来。或许是因祸得福，老校长知道大燕、小燕的情况后，决定让姐妹俩同时重返学校。两年后，在老校长的帮助下，大燕、小燕妈妈的病逐渐好起来了，姐妹俩像其它同龄学生一样，飞向明媚的春天。

单亲妈妈凯西带着儿子柯迪，前往已故姐姐的家帮她善后。柯迪是一名早熟内向的八岁男孩，不善于和同年龄的小孩相处，因为凯西和相差多达12岁的姐姐断绝联络，令柯迪对这个阿姨一无所知，阿姨的退休老兵邻居戴尔，反而成为他的新好友。

某户普通住宅内，一名老人和护理院的院长意外身亡。警方通过现场勘查，初步判定老人是被嗜赌成性、债台高筑的院长所害。在此之后，护理院的员工斯波宗典（松山研一 饰）作为当事人受到讯问。但是女检察官大友秀美（长泽雅美 饰）在调查发现，斯波所负责的片区内，受该护理院看护的老人们的死亡率出奇地高，而且无一例外都被判定为自然死亡，而老人们去世的那天恰巧都是斯波休假的日子。看似拥有完美的不在场证明，但是秀美嗅出了一丝不祥的气息。通过大量的证据和讯问，这个满头白发、对待老人十分友好的年轻人终于张口，说出了他及其背后42条人命的故事……