First I watched 3 WOMEN because I was told it was awesome. It was not. With the exception of one strange, experimental dream sequence there was little I liked about the movie. I specifially did not like Sissy Spacek's performance, or any for that matter except for Shelley Duvall who did alright. The dialogue was the worst. I couldn't even believe what I was hearing.
Next I watched IMAGES which, though it was released five years earlier than 3 WOMEN, was better in every way. The camera moves around the scenes like one of the actors. I loved the way this film built upon itself. Cathryn, the protagonist, starts becoming plagued by illusions of people who are not there. As the lines between reality and delusion become blurred the whole pace of the film speeds up. This is a beautiful movie I would suggest to anyone.
My most recent Altman film was SHORT CUTS. This film came late in Altman's career, after some critical acclaim and success in the box office, then an almost decade of less impressive releases (including the movie POPEYE with Robin Williams. Not a shining Altman moment). But when Altman makes a comeback he does it right. SHORT CUTS is excellent. The only film I've seen from Altman that has his signature style of huge casts acting out numerous storyline. As the shorts criss-cross over each other you start to feel the themes Altman wants to convey. Isolation. Indfidelity. Death. Sorrow. Chance. Set in Los Angeles, the film also relies more heavily on its music than most I can think of. There are both Jazz and Classical string arrangements which were composed for the film and act as a perfect backdrop. Unless you'll be disturbed by a pretty heavy amount of nudity go see this movie. Awesome performances from Tim Robbins, Julianne Moore, Lily Tomlin, Tom Waits, and (beleive it or not) Huey Lewis.
I know I need to see more films by Altman. NASHVILLE and MASH are a couple of his most famous that I haven't seen. Also don't hesitate to let me know which ones are your favorites. I'd love to get to know Robert Altman better.
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