Short Cuts

1993 Altman movie

Rating: 17/20 (Jen: 17/20)

Plot: A loving look at the more hateful aspects of humanity in Los Angeles circa 1990. Policemen, bakers, limo drivers, waitresses, fisherman, artists, pool cleaners, night club singers, cellists, Huey Lewis, and doctors lie, cheat, manipulate, kill, cry, dance, fornicate, make accusations, earn their livings, and decay.

Jen and I are both wearing light green shirts today, too. We saw it in '93 at the theater (we're both Lyle Lovett fans), but I like it a lot more now. Great ensemble cast (not a stinker in the bunch) and their nearly-intertwining stories, despite the three hour length of this bad boy, are never even close to dull. The stories don't really begin, meander hopelessly, and then frustratingly don't have anything resembling a satisfying resolution which makes Short Cuts a unique, and arguably frustrating viewing experience. The connections between these hopeless souls are never vital, but they're nifty connections nevertheless. It's like Altman has taken fifteen different strands and tried to make a rope but ended up with something that looks more like something a kitten has coughed up. But in an artistic way. For the most part, it's a three-hour downer but with Altman almost encouraging you to laugh at the plights of these individuals. It sits the fence between misanthropy and sympathy, contempt and amusement. It's a challenging chunk of time, but the quality performances, virtuosic direction, superb script, cool music, and numerous sweet and toxic moments make it worth the effort. Powerful drama.