Short Cuts

If there's one thing Robert Altman was guaranteed to do with his films, it was to get most out of his actors. Whether it be a single actor-driven film or one with an ensemble cast, he always got memorable performances from them.

Such is the case with Short Cuts. With twenty-two major characters, Altman knows how to give each of them the right amount of time on screen. (Always trust a director who has that ability.)

Based on Raymond Carver's short stories, Short Cuts provides a glimpse in the lives of several California residents. Some regular, some tragic, some bizarre, all compelling. And yet, this is Altman's work, not Carver's.

As expected from an Altman film, the cast is lovely. The names include Oscar nominees (and a few winners), character actors and a few musicians. It seems cruel to pick favorites among them, but I am partial to Jack Lemmon (for his confession on why he cheated), Julianne Moore (for her confession on why she cheated), Jennifer Jason Leigh (for what she does in front of her children and neglected husband) and Robert Downey, Jr. (for his slightly erratic behavior). Again, it's cruel to pick favorites from a cast like this.

Short Cuts is a very interesting character study. It's not that often you find a film this compelling in both acting and story. Seriously, this is definitely one of Altman's best. (Alongside Nashville and The Player without a doubt.) If you're in need of an excellent contemporary film, Short Cuts is what you're looking for.

My Rating: *****

McCabe & Mrs. Miller

Robert Altman's McCabe & Mrs. Miller from some of the director's later work. It doesn't rely on the ensemble cast Altman is famous for. Instead, its stars are a Hollywood playboy and a British beauty.

Now that might sound odd, but it surprisingly works. The film is a western, but not like the westerns John Ford is famous for. It's more of a glimpse of what America became.

Julie Christie I already knew was a fine actress, but Warren Beatty took a little more persuading. The films I previously saw him in (Heaven Can Wait, Bonnie and Clyde, Bugsy) portrayed his character as that of a carefree ladies' man. (Or, more specifically, as Beatty himself.) Is he like that in McCabe & Mrs. Miller? Not in the least bit.

Along with Beatty and Christie's acting and Altman's direction, the cinematography by Vilmos Zsigmond is to die for. It captures the ruggedness of the film's nature while also displaying a sort of beauty amid it all. How the hell did Zsigmond get snubbed?

McCabe & Mrs. Miller is dubbed as an essential of Altman's, though I fail to see the big picture. It didn't particularly grab me as a stunning piece of cinema as some film snobs might say. A re-watch in the near future is inevitable, but I'll stay with these musings for the time being.

My Rating: ****1/2

Nashville

Robert Altman made unconventional films. He never did the same genre twice and each one of his films took his career into a new direction, for better or worse.

One key trademark of his is the use of ensemble casts. Naturally, one has to choose favorites among the many names. For me, the ones that stood out in Nashville were Ronee Blakley as a country star on the verge of a breakdown, Gwen Welles as a wannabe with no talent, and Geraldine Chaplin as a nosy reporter. (Oh, and the Elliott Gould cameo was boss.)

As well as the stars, the key aspect of Nashville is the music. From what I read, many of the songs performed were written by the actors that sang them. If I had to choose favorites for the songs, I'd go with Keith Carradine singing "I'm Easy" (a great scene as well) and Barbara Harris singing "It Don't Worry Me" (also a great scene).

Nashville is also, more or less, about America in general. It shows the way its people live essentially to a T. It's one of those few films that best captures a whole decade effortlessly. And let's face it, Altman was one of the very few names who could do this.

To sum things up, I loved Nashville. The cast is wonderful, but that's expected from an Altman film. I've read constantly that this is an essential film of the 1970s, and now I can see why.

My Rating: *****

A Prairie Home Companion

Films focusing on one or two characters are good but even better when films have ensemble casts. There's just something so engaging about watching at least a dozen different characters in one film.

Not many directors can work with ensemble casts. Robert Altman was a master with them. He would have some of the biggest names in his films, ranging from Oscar winners to character actors. Let's face it: was there anyone who didn't work for Altman?

The cast for his swan song A Prairie Home Companion is a hell of an ensemble. The names include Meryl Streep, Kevin Kline, Lily Tomlin, Woody Harrelson, John C. Reilly, Lindsay Lohan, Tommy Lee Jones, Garrison Keillor (host of the real A Prairie Home Companion), Virginia Madsen and Maya Rudolph. They play their parts extremely well, but my favorite's Kline for his deadpan deliveries. (He honestly needs to be in more movies.)

Even with the film's focus on a radio show's final broadcast, Altman doesn't dwell on that fact. He instead treats the broadcast as an average one rather than the last. In fact, the characters don't even (or want to) treat it as the last either. They just view it as another broadcast among friends.

A Prairie Home Companion is one of those films that has the viewer forget their worries. It's just so lighthearted and fun to watch. And to think this is from the same man responsible for much darker films like MASH, The Player and Gosford Park. (Also, the life and death metaphor throughout the film is pretty good.)

My Rating: *****

Gosford Park

I know Robert Altman is a good director. It's just I haven't seen much of his work. I only have three titles to brag about seeing (MASH, The Player, The Long Goodbye).

There is also a fourth title among Altman's work that I've seen. That title is Gosford Park. It stars so many British actors, Ian McKellen joked that he was the only British actor not in Gosford Park. (Not kidding on that.) And boy, do they play their roles well. Of the actors, I liked Maggie Smith, Helen Mirren, Clive Owen and Ryan Phillippe the best.

The highlight of Gosford Park is Julian Fellowes' script. It practically oozes sly humor and wit. It picks up the dull parts. (There are quite a few, trust me.) You tell by the script that this is an Altman movie.

In total, I really liked Gosford Park but I thought it was sluggish in parts. Like many of Altman's previous movies, the ensemble of actors is excellently crafted. If you like heavily British movies, then you'll like this.

My Rating: ****1/2

The Long Goodbye

I'm trying to catch up on Robert Altman. I've only seen MASH and The Player, so I'm attempting to see his other works.

One of them is The Long Goodbye. Starring Altman regular Elliot Gould, it's based on Raymond Chandler's novel. Altman, however, tweaks Chandler's work to fit to 1970's life. Does it work? Indeed it does.

The protagonist of The Long Goodbye is noted private eye Philip Marlowe. Marlowe has been depicted on screen many times, more famously by Humphrey Bogart in The Big Sleep. Gould's Marlowe is a little different than Bogart's Marlowe. (One thing they have in common is that they both smoke a lot.) Gould is more aloof than Bogart was. Personally, I like that.

I did like The Long Goodbye but like The Big Sleep, the muddled plot made me lose focus. It's a good movie nonetheless. The way the plot unfolded is my only peeve.

My Rating: ****1/2

The Player

Satires are always funny. As long as you know what they're poking fun at, they're always fun.

Griffin Mill (Tim Robbins) is a studio executive who is responsible for accepting or rejecting pitches for potential feature films. With his career on the line and the impending possibility that he might be replaced by a rival upstart, Grffin now finds his life threatened by an anonymous screenwriter whose pitch he rejected long ago. Drawn into a web of blackmail and murder, Griffin must evade the police investigation that he caused.

I was a little nervous if Robbins could carry a movie by himself considering the other movies I've seen him in has him acting alongside other big name actors (Mystic River, The Shawshank Redemption, High Fidelity, Bull Durham). He does, but only for a majority of the movie. The numerous celebrity cameos were hilarious. The Player was a reprieve for Robert Altman's career, and trust me he needed this.

My Rating: ****1/2