QUINTET

Quintet (1979) is one of those strange cinematic curiosities that I’m not sure I’ll remember or even decide if I enjoyed it.  If I had to sum it up in one word, the word would be “mediocre”.  It’s the only sci-fi film ever made by Robert Altman, and the only sci-fi film that Paul Newman starred in.  I’m not sure either gentleman benefited from the venture.

GOSFORD PARK

Gosford Park is technically a whodunit, but the “who” hardly matters.  The real mystery lies in the intricate web of relationships that unravel among Britain’s 1930s aristocracy and their servants. 

FOOL FOR LOVE

If you like Robert Altman’s unique storytelling, or the intense screen presence of Kim Basinger or Sam Shepard, then Fool for Love is worth seeking out. Adapted from Shepard's stage play, the film captures a tense, raw, emotional showdown between two former lovers trapped in an unresolved and deeply complicated relationship. 

PRET-A-P0RTER

Robert Altman’s Prêt-à-Porter (or, as it was unfortunately dumbed down for American audiences, Ready to Wear) wants to do for the fashion world what M*A*S*H did for war and Nashville did for country music, but it never quite gets there.  Instead of slyly skewering the fashion industry’s vanity and absurdity, it gets caught in a muddled mess of half-hearted satire, poorly sewn subplots, and way too many characters with not enough to say.  The materials are all there, the glamour, the ego, the eccentricity, but Altman, who once masterfully juggled chaos in his ensemble pieces, seems overwhelmed or maybe just uninterested this time.

A PERFECT COUPLE

In A Perfect Couple, Robert Altman takes a quirky stab at the burgeoning world of video dating, a novelty at the time that now feels like a cultural time capsule.  The film pairs Alex (Paul Dooley), a middle-aged Greek-American man smothered by his domineering family, with Sheila (Marta Heflin), a shy, ethereal backup singer in a bohemian rock group akin to The Starland Vocal Band. Following a rained-out first date, the story captures the tentative hopefulness and awkward charm of people searching for love in unconventional ways. Altman's satirical eye is certainly present, but here it's softer, more curious than cutting.

THE LONG GOODBYE

In 1973, director Robert Altman took a swing at bringing the classic noir detective Philip Marlowe to the big screen, and into the 1970s. The Long Goodbye, based on the Raymond Chandler novel of the same name, features Elliott Gould as the iconic gumshoe. Whether or not this outing is a success largely depends on what you’re more a fan of: filmmaking as an art form, or the character of Marlowe himself.

BEYOND THERAPY

Beyond Therapy (1987) is, without a doubt, one of the worst movies I’ve ever seen. I’ve said it, and I stand by it. If you want to know why, feel free to continue reading.