The Long Goodbye (film review)

Easily one of Altman's best films and an early precursor to other films later in the decade by the director. The Long Goodbye is a fine transition in style to Altmans later films like "Nashville" and "A Wedding" Elliot Gould does an outstanding job portraying the outre detective Phillip Marlowe, using his mumbling, bumbling, smart ass speaking style, as a technique to keep the film under the illusion that everything is in motion, like the ocean waves in the film, Marlowe speaks in a sort of beatnik type "Daddy-O" style combined with a smooth talking private eye, and the result works perfectly. The film works like it is timed by a metronome, it rolls along, seamlessly in a way that only Altman can achieve, and like the rhythm of the waves and Marlowe's speech, the camera is constantly in motion as well. The roving camera does an excellent job of allowing the viewer to feel as though they are witnessing more action than actually exists on screen.

Wade (Sterling Hayden) is a fantastic Hemingway-esque writer in the film. Hayden's size and booming voice, in conjunction with his alcoholism and potential brutality, lend an aroma of unpredictableness to his character. Wade's beautiful wife, who has a mysterious bruise on her face, is like a timid, loyal animal, subjected to the whims of her over bearing master. Henry Gibson, who plays Wade's doctor, is excellent as a sort of despotic mouse, who frightens an elephant into conforming to his will, this irony is one of the films intriguing, bizarre twists.

This film works well as a character study, and is one of the best films of the seventies. A must see for every student of film. 9/10

Shortcuts, Robert Altman (film review)

This movie exemplifies why Altman is one of the greatest American directors. It paints a picture of a community using broad strokes, you have every type of person here, all personalities represented and we see much in the way of human weakness and lust.

Altman is a master at weaving together stories that ostensibly shouldn't connect, other film makers like P.T. Anderson attempt to achieve the same effect with varied results. The uneven Magnolia and the stellar Boogie Nights are examples of mimicking the Altman style. Of the four films Altman attempts this technique "The Player, Short Cuts, Pret A Porter, Nashville and to a lesser extent M.A.S.H and McCabe and Mrs. Miller, Short Cuts is the most effective.

Highly recommended piece of American Cinema.

Quintet, Robert Altman, (film review)

After tracking down this video and reading predominantly negative reviews, this perplexing, yet interesting and forgotten Altman film has something going on, I'm just not sure if it was accidentally interesting or intended. In a room without an air conditioner, in the beginning of August in New York City, this film actually made me feel cold. It was amazing how well the mood is set by ice in every scene. The acting by Newman is stiff, which may have been intentional in order to portray the concept of the frozen atmosphere? Who knows, I would love to extend Altman that credit.

The Vaseline on the lens of the camera was a horrible mistake, the intended goal was missed, all it accomplished was making the viewer feel as if the film were out of focus, what an idiotic mistake that was by Altman! To give Altman some credit, this film is bold, perplexing and worth a look. It may be perplexing for the sole reason that the lines are difficult to hear on a fifteen year old VHS copy of an ex-rental. Far superior to "Buffalo Bill and the Indians" which ironically was the other film Newman starred in which Altman directed, and his previous film to "Quintet" in addition to being one of the other misses by Altman in the seventies, when the man was creatively on fire. Newman and Altman did not connect on a good film, which is perplexing in and of itself. As a whole, worth a look for serious Altman fans, but not recommended for those who are not into sci-fi, incomplete ideas, or blurred vision. A must see if you are sweating in an apartment with out air conditioning.

Images, Robert Altman (film review)

Under the assumption that Altman was creatively peaking between the years 1970 and 1975, (I realize this is debatable) I sought out every film that was made during that period. Surprisingly, I could not locate the brilliant, chilling lost treasure that is the film "Images" it seemed to have simply vanished into history. Although Susannah York deservedly earned best actress at Cannes for her performance, and it was sandwiched between "The Long Goodbye" and "Mccabe and Mrs. Miller" this film, like "3 women" and "California Split", remain mysteries. Luckily, "Images" was released on DVD this past September. I immediately bought it without a second thought. I am very thankful that I did.

Images is one of those gems that make you appreciate cinema, directors and the creative process in general, because of the exploritive potential within the medium. Dredging up the inner fears and archetypes of the subconscious and weaving together what comes to the surface synergistically is Altmans vision in this film. Sadly, lately, film is about loud bangs and shiny things and very few adroitly capture the lost art of character development.

"Images" seems to be one of those films that could only have taken place in the early seventies. During the era of psychedelic drugs, the film indubitably feels as though it is on some kind of mind altering substance. It is completely trippy and unnerving. Logic seems to have flown out the window from the onset of the story. I won't give anything away, because you need to go into this film knowing nothing, or little to nothing about it, and just enjoy the ride.