True Stories (1986)

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

The acting in this movie is really good.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

True Stories is a movie about fictitious Texas town "Virgil" and their celebration of specialness. It's the towns Sesquicentennial and writer/director/star David Byrne takes us on a ride through Virgil outlining all the colorful people that live there, their talents and ultimately what they want from life. John Goodman plays "Lewis Fyne" who posts a commercial accompanied by phone number in search of a bride. This movie is laced with Talking Heads music, and in a way it's kind of a musical. But not one of those "Nutcracker" types, this is a musical that the FREAKS can get behind. The movie takes a nod from the beat poets, it Explodes into song from time to time and examines complexities through a kaleidoscope instead of a microscope. The film has got truth, lies, and one hell of a talent show at the end. Radiohead gets their name from this movie, which explains much. Although the town of Virgil is fictional, everything is shot in Texas, so there's plenty of of long green landscapes and prefabricated building's. The film explores a variety of topics, the intro is amazing, Puzzlin evidence is awesome, the cute lady, the liar. I personally don't know many people who have seen this either, and it's got a lot less reviews then you'd imagine for a movie of such abundance. It flows like a river and crashes like lightning, it's both intriguing and hysterical, "astronauts didn't use to read poetry, that's changing now". I love the dinner scene with the overhead shot of all the food lighting up, "Linda, Larry, there's no such thing as weekends anymore!". How about Indian wars, computer technology, the Trilateral commission, name one other movie that covers so much ground. It's both scary and beautiful, like being eaten by a shark while dispersing fliers to an upcoming wrestling match, or being beaten to death by clowns while reciting the pledge of allegiance.

The original tag line of "True Stories" was: "It's a completely cool, multi-purpose movie." Yes it really is. Directed and written by David Byrne (singer, writer, composer, a multi-talented person), this movie is an surprising and uplifting story about Virgil, a fictional Texas city that are celebrating the state's sesquicentennial year. Byrne is the nameless narrator of "True Stories", and here he presents us all kinds of characters, including the lovely Lewis Fyne (John Goodman, very good) a bachelor who wants desperately to get married even knowing that his appearance isn't what most women wants; the Culver family led by the most influential business man of the city, the odd, funny and controlling Earl Culver (Spalding Gray) among many other persons.Both in his musical works and in the case of this movie, Byrne puts very forms of speeches, as may seem throughout "True Stories". It's not just an ordinary comedy, it has something more powerful between it. He made statements over the unbridled consumerism (well noticed in the lyrics of "Wild Wild Life" and in the video of "Love for sale", where a sitting woman and a walking employee robot, watches a video clip showing that everything and everybody's out for sale). Those moments might seen an attack to some viewers and probably many will find that these scenes has nothing to do with the movie. Wrong. It is just a way to show many aspects of real life, after all we're talking about possible true people but in a funny way. It is not pointing to the people like a character judgment. Instead of that, Byrne and the writers (the actor Stephen Tobolowsky is one of them) shows us many levels of the society's stereotypes (the funny guy, the simple people and the rich people, and their events). But there's a sense of union, everybody likes each other in the movie, people go to clubs and shopping malls, sing songs, go to the big parade honoring the city and their special figures. Everything is likable. Perhaps in a deep view you'll find that something's wrong.It's like Altman's "Nashville" but with less characters and more funny, and it's like "This is Spinal Tap", (both stories are showed in a documentary style) but Byrne's film is far more complex, very much like an art film filled with cultural references. This is one more of the most positive and underrated films I ever seen and I think it was made way ahead of its time. One of those to be watched again and again. If you're a Talking Heads fan you'll enjoy the songs played in the movie and sing along (Wild Wild Life is my favorite moment). If you're not a fan or don't know Talking Heads, well here's a great invitation to meet them. It's very cool and fun to watch! 10/10

The film offers a kind view of what a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design must find martian about life in Middle America in the mid 80's. There are less than subtle anachronisms built into story: The preacher railing about the evils of the military industrial complex in Puzzling Evidence. The philosophic lesson at the dinner table using bits of food to map out the workings of modern technological advancement. (David Byrne interrupts as he's forgotten what the peppers represent) There is also a common thread of ambiguity with the band Talking Heads. In 1977 when the band released its first album the radio DJ's would comment about how they hadn't figured out yet if this new band were morons or geniuses. With True Stories we are once again forced to make a decision.

This movie made me a different person, to watch David Byrne was a heartwarming experience. Sometimes it's a slow moving picture but it picks up the pace in just the right time to make you feel involved in the characters. To put it frank - this was a mind blowing experience. Some people may come to the conclusion that this is just a simple movie about simple people - and these people are right. But my dear friends, ask yourselves; how often do you see that - once in a lifetime! The reason that I haven't said anything concrete about the movie is that it's a picture in the same class as Lost Highway, try to say something about that movie, it's not easy, see it and become a better human being.