电影《三姊妹》以纪录片的形式讲述了在云南某个村庄里的三个姐妹生活的故事。谈及为何会关注这三个女孩，王兵表示他在2009年拍摄完成《夹边沟》后，到云南去拜祭已故的作家朋友，在看望完其母亲回程的路上，他偶然遇到了这三个孩子，由于饥饿，王兵到三个女孩家里吃饭，老大英英为他烧了土豆，这一举动感动了王兵。而后在2010年有制片人提出要王兵拍摄一部电影，三个小女孩的形象就出现在了他的脑海里。

作为汉城某所小学的教师，金峰窦（车胜元）日子过得颇为潇洒：他喜欢喝酒，喜欢让学生望眼欲穿等他来上课，喜欢怂恿学生家长送他点小恩小惠，不然会给他们的孩子好看……唯独不喜欢认真教学。校长屡次训斥，他恶习不改，被调到江原道一所偏远的乡村小学。该小学只有五名穷学生，从他们家长身上，除了水果和蔬菜，金峰窦捞不到任何的油水，但他还是动了歪念想，并设法尽快回到汉城。在与五个善良淳朴的孩子、他们的家长以及学校管理员等人相处的过程中，金峰窦回想起他走过的路，内心渐渐受到触动。

世纪之交，古老的中国正迎来前所未有的巨大变革。老态龙钟的大清王朝摇摇欲坠，六君子的鲜血无法阻止历史车轮的滚动，老北京城的上空风云变幻，波谲云诡。王利发（于是之 饰），北京城内裕泰茶馆的年轻掌柜。他谨记父亲的教诲，体面周全地迎送四方宾客。小小的茶馆内，三教九流各色人等穿梭于此：提笼架鸟哀叹时运的松二爷（黄宗洛 饰）；慨叹国之将亡的刚毅满人常四爷（郑榕 饰）；一心谋求实业救国的秦仲义（蓝天野 饰）；丧尽天良买卖人口的刘麻子（英若诚 饰）；打算娶老婆的庞太监（童超 饰）……你方唱罢我登场，小小茶馆之内演尽世间的沧桑与凄凉……本片根据老舍同名原著改编，并1983年第3届中国电影金鸡奖特别奖、文化部1982年优秀影片奖特别奖。

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.