True Stories was written and directed by David Byrne, who also stars in the film. Interestingly, film making and acting were not his primary careers; he was actually the lead singer in the rock band the Talking Heads. I don't know what he's done before or since, but he certainly made a truly original movie with True Stories.
True Stories is an odd, offbeat film, but like the denizens of the town, strangely captivating and eminently watchable. There's no plot to speak of- other than Louis' search for a wife- but the little vignettes of the lives of the people of Virgil and of course, the Celebration of Special-ness are funny, charming, and hold your attention even when you're not sure why. Incidentally, Byrne used 50 sets of twins in the filming of True Stories, something which is never mentioned in the film. They're just there, in various role; the only sort-of mention comes in the scene where Louis and the narrator are walking through the mall. Louis waves to a girl he knows and casually mentions that she's a twin. And that's it... Byrne went to the trouble of gathering 50 sets of twins to be extras in his movie, yet it's not even used as a visual joke, and nothing is ever made of it. This sort of underscores the general quirkiness of the entire production. The soundtrack- a lot of it recorded by David Byrne- is also perfect for the film, catchy and a little offbeat, just like the film.
As I said at the beginning of this review, I'm not sure what I've just watched: True Stories is difficult to classify and its charms are indefinable. But I was charmed by it and I'm glad I watched it.