TANNER ON TANNER (2004)

In keeping with the end of a life and career that busied itself with projects told from a decidedly more feminine point of view, Robert Altman and Garry Trudeau revisited the Jack Tanner character from their brilliant Tanner ‘88 and brushed him and his circus off for Tanner on Tanner, the four-part mini-series for Showtime […]

THE COMPANY (2003)

The first voice heard in Robert Altman’s The Company is that of Van Dyke Parks, underrated composer whose idiosyncrasies and approach to richly American musical styles are such a perfect fit for Altman that it begs the question as to why they had only worked together once before, Parks handling the orchestration duties for Harry […]

GOSFORD PARK (2002)

As he was one of the keenest observers of America and its inhabitants, Robert Altman didn’t make many movies that were set outside of the confines of the United States. But, sweeping through the best of Altman’s work like a raging sea, the theme of change renders any kind of geographic specificity in his work […]

THE GINGERBREAD MAN (1998)

After the cool audience reception to 1996’s Kansas City, Robert Altman teed up a project that was certainly to be money in the bank. For in the 90’s, adaptations of the work of author John Grisham had become as fashionable and profitable as adaptations of Stephen King novels had been in the early 80’s. And […]

O.C. AND STIGGS (1985)

After Ronald Regan scored a dominating win and a second term in office, there had to be some kind of numbness that was felt by those who knew Reagan was an intellectual lightweight but yet somehow, almost despite himself, remained vastly popular. What, they thought, can’t people see, or, more scarily, do they even care? […]

SECRET HONOR (1984)

Locked behind security gates with cameras that pepper his estate like so many rose bushes, an exhausted Richard Nixon slowly retreats to his private study with a package in his hand. He first moves toward the fireplace where he pours a brandy and sits as the portrait of George Washington looms above him. Nah… no […]

3 WOMEN (1977)

After dicking with the Dino De Laurentiis company the one and only time in 1976 with his acidic Buffalo Bill and the Indians, Robert Altman moved into what seemed to be a really nice and comfortable distribution deal with 20th Century Fox, whose film division president was Altman superfan Alan Ladd, Jr. To Ladd, Robert […]

NASHVILLE (1975)

The Paramount logo appears in black and white and in a state of mismanaged distress. This is quickly followed by a calm pre-title credit countdown; Three, the studio… two, the producers… one, the director. Then, the blast off occurs with a voice that booms “NOW AFTER YEARS IN THE MAKING…” revealing a commercial for the […]

READY TO WEAR {PRÊT-Á-PORTER} (1994)

Opening on an image that links fashion with death (“Poison”) and the purchase of two gaudy Christian Dior ties, an acerbic tone is immediately set for Robert Altman’s Ready to Wear (initially titled Prêt-á-Porter,which it retains in its opening credits). After all, a film that promises to take a gander at the world of the […]

SHORT CUTS (1993)

Robert Altman’s Short Cuts is a mosaic of people who are perpetually faced with bad decisions and who constantly take the wrong path. So, basically it’s about you and me. A spiderweb crack of broken souls stitched together by geography, relationships, and happenstance, Altman takes his well-traveled formula of regular folks just doing regular folks […]