纽约客在上海

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.

一具冰冷的遗体，在医学院的解剖课中，默默的和一群医学院学生，走过一学期艰巨的学习，陪伴他们穿越成为医生的成年礼。在台湾捐赠遗体做为解剖课教材使用的亡者，被尊称为大体老师，在极度重视亡者身体安葬的亚洲，贡献自己的身体需要面对亲人的不舍，获得深厚的了解与支持。这样贡献的心意，将带给家人以及医学院师生什么样的改变？即使灵魂早已离开身体。本片经历细腻的情感，思考『活着』到底是什么意思？当生命的终点不是身体的毁坏，而是影响力，人们会如何决定自己生命的色彩？

本片为黏土动画片，2006年法国安锡（Annecy）国际动画电影节上，被评为“动画的世纪?100部作品”第74名。深夜，一个喝得醉醺醺的老人摇摇摆摆走进一家美术馆，面对满地满墙的艺术作品，他不时发出感叹。在他定神观察或无意间碰触某件作品时，艺术家创作该作品时的场景在他面前呈现，美丽奇谲的艺术世界让他开心、诧异或失落。欣赏完作品，他站稳脚化身一件雕塑，成为这些作品中的一员。

丽兹和班尼都出生在一个有色人种的家庭。在一次文学聚会上，丽兹遇到了年轻英俊的白人知识青年托尼，带着一种轻浮的热情，涉世未深的丽兹弃原来的追求者不顾，投入了托尼的怀抱，并与托尼发生了性关系。但是，当托尼发现丽兹并非白人，尤其当他看见丽兹黑皮肤、厚嘴唇的大哥，厌恶之感顿生。丽 兹痛苦了一段时间，终于，一个黑人青年的追求把她从深渊中拉了出来。丽兹的二哥班尼生性叛逆，总是与三两个朋友一起浪迹街头，虽然自己不是白的，但他有时也厌恶黑人的粗俗，对种族之间的问题，他似乎只是在街边边走边看，超脱，但不可避免的颓废。