城市如战场

　　《青春之歌》是一部关于青春成长的影片，三个年轻人因为对HIP-HOP的热爱而走到一起，但三年前发生在他们身上的一些事情，让事情起了变化...

　　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.

　　纳豆是一位送货的小弟，从小到大就没有做过任何正经事，偷拐抢骗，最擅长偷。这个送货的工作，是他立定志向好好做人之后第一个工作。工作很单纯，就是几个礼拜一次把货送到南部。他从事这个工作已经有一段时间了，通常是一早出发，中午到达，不到傍晚的时候回到台北。南部的收货人，名字叫庹哥，是老板大宝非常好的朋友，纳豆所送的货就是来自泰国金三角的海洛英，而且有海洛英界的LV之称的双狮地球牌。
　　他送货的方式非常特别，就是在路边随手拦计程车，一路上就在计程车里，到达目的地下来，把东西交给客人，再坐着原车回来。这次他搭的计程车虽然有一些破旧，但是看到司机一副乐观没有心机的样子，最后还是上了车，没多久他发现，司机带着浓浓的广东腔，原来这位司机先生是在很久以前来台的香港人。
　　老许在90年代来到台湾，早先来台时，他不知道会待多久，但一天一天过去，不知不觉已经来台25年。就在他们把货送到目的地的时候，现场发生了黑吃黑的事情，庹哥当下中枪身亡，货品及现款被洗劫而去，纳豆也被流弹所伤，老许跟纳豆甚至被关到一台宾士车的后车厢，深陷重围。
　　一路顺风是一个祝福，也是一种期待。但是一条长长的人生路，哪有可能顺风到底，常常转个弯，风向就变了。这支片子是希望在人生短短的一条路上，能重拾我们遗忘的风景，或是拾回一点点，我们身为人曾经拥有的情感。

　　检察官久力生公平（木村拓哉 饰）六年后回到东京地方监察厅城西部，继续由事务官雨宫舞（松隆子 饰）担任助手。六年时间并没有隔断他们的感情，在斗嘴中舞试探着久利生的心意，久利生感觉到却故意调皮地置之不理。芝山检察官（阿部宽 饰）正对一桩故意伤害人的案件提起起诉，犯罪嫌疑人对罪状也供认不讳。芝山由于正在为自己争取女儿抚养权的官司弄得焦头烂额，这件官司只得转交久利生处理。久利生和舞去了案发现场重演经过时遇见了一个神情庄重的中年人。在初审法庭上发现他竟是犯罪嫌疑人的辩护律师——在业界首屈一指的蒲生一臣，而犯罪嫌疑人也一改之前的口供，否认罪状。原来花岗练三郎议员正在被控贿赂，而他坚称当时正在牙医诊所，目击证人正是一名保安，这名保安就是久利生的犯罪嫌疑人。为了帮花岗脱罪，所以这名犯罪嫌疑人必须身在牙医诊所而不是案发现场。
　　对于高官来说，让花岗入罪是为民除害。但是对于久利生来说，没有什么比杀人之后逃窜更恶劣。尽管艰难重重，他们还是坚定地踏上了寻找证据控告入罪之路。

　　THE BIG CHILL meets THE GRADUATE. What could have been? What might have been? Reunions can be exciting, frustrating, exhilarating, nostalgic, one life given over to practicality while another chases lost dreams. Set against the majestic landscape of the desert, three estranged friends and former band mates "celebrate" turning 30, carrying their hopes, unresolved wounds and intertwined romantic baggage, in this hysterically funny and poignant look at lost loves, forgotten dreams and missed opportunity of three young adults in the final stages of giving up their youth.