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That was an excellent one.

Thanks for the memories!

It's funny watching the elements come together in this complicated scam. On one hand, the set-up isn't quite as complex as it seems, but there's an easy sense of fun in every exchange.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

Celebrated art rocker David Byrne introduces the citizens of Virgil, Texas, a typical American small town preparing to observe its sesquicentennial with a 'celebration of specialness'. The narrator/tour guide (and neophyte film director) cultivates an attitude of deadpan naiveté (through awkward postures and dry non-sequiturs), which in certain circles passes for the ultimate in cool behavior. But his film is built on a fundamental flaw: contrary to the title, none of it is true. The town of Virgil, with all its eccentric residents (ostensibly inspired by supermarket tabloid news stories) is entirely fictional, and the scripted mock-documentary format only makes each slice of bucolic whimsy look totally artificial.In the end the project serves no real purpose except as a unique promotional tie-in to the latest album by The Talking Heads, a musical group whose high-tech, post-New Wave sophistication is entirely at odds with the offbeat Americana displayed here. Compare the film with similar efforts by Errol Morris or Ross McElwee (or Christopher Guest) for better perspective.

I saw this movie after having spent three years in Mississippi. Byrne and Henley absolutely nailed everyday southern folk. I love Byrne's sense of humor throughout the movie. When the film premiered in my area, I found myself laughing out loud. The seven other people in the theater kept hissing at me: "Shut up! It's NOT funny!"This is a film that I can watch over and over and never get tired of it. From Byrne's hysterical non-sequiturs ("This is not a rental car -- this is privately owned!") to the terrific music to the gorgeous cinematography, it's a joyful experience.What really drives this movie, though, are the great characters. John Goodman, in one of his early film roles, was a perfect match in his role as Louis Fine, working in the "clean room" at Vericorp by day and looking for love by night. Spalding Grey is memorable as the narrow- minded and somewhat pompous big cheese in the town. The rest of the cast is just as good, including the Cute Woman and the Lying Woman. There's no conventional plot. Byrne is basically making a documentary about a small Texas town and how it's celebrating the state's 150th anniversary. But what you really see is small-town life and how it's gradually changing to keep up with modern times.In one wonderful sequence, the camera is quietly tracking past a new housing development. An instrumental version of the song "Dream Operator" plays in the background. And Byrne says, "Look at this. Who can say it isn't beautiful?" That's very true of the whole movie.

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.

The film itself is rich in it's look and content. True stories is Set in A fictional small town in Texas, celebrating the 150th anniversary of the state in it's own small way. Byrne points out how many small American towns shape themselves politically and culturally from the inside. The scenes of the vast Texas landscape reflect the isolation of little Virgil. Byrne drives past a row of brand new houses with four car garages and asks "who do you think lives here?", much like he does in some of his TH songs such as "Big Country" and "Dont Worry About the Government". When we do meet who lives there we are greeted by a quite eclectic bunch; the world's laziest woman, Louis the desperate bachelor, Ramon, the voodoo priest. Often when we visit small unassuming towns, we are surprised by what we find. Byrne's character obviously had some assumptions about Virgil, Texas. He walks around town in a stetson hat and cowboy shirts and wonders why everyone else doesn't dress the same way. The songs are terrific in the film. I was well familiar with the TH album of the same name before I saw the film, but many of the renditions are on par with the unofficial soundtrack, particularly "papa legba" and Goodman's "people like us". The movie is an homage to Byrne's fascination to small town America and folk art. Byrne's commentary over a series of photo montages are great too, like when he gives the history of Texas in about 3 minutes noting that "the Spaniards offered the indians a chance to become slaves. The indians thought about this, decided it was not a good idea, and killed the Spaniards" Those that really dislike this movie are, on some level, just not getting it.