Amazon.com Essentials:
If aliens came down to earth to see if humanity was worth saving,
showing
them Short Cuts, Robert Altman's bluesy riff on life in L.A. in the '90s,
would not be a good idea. Based on the stories of Raymond Carver
(adapted by Altman and Frank Barhydt), this ambitious film is a devilish
valentine to
living in L.A., where happiness comes at a premium. There are at least eight
separate stories that crisscross, most about people who
choose not to relate to the lives they are living. Seemingly by design, none
of the stories (nor the performances for that matter) have more
impact than the others--this is a true mosaic film. The most representative
plot deals with a group of friends (Buck Henry, Fred Ward, and Huey Lewis)
who decide to keep fishing even after discovering a body in the river. The
story works as a morose comedy and a flag holder for the movie: the
inability to take the correct action. Others would rather talk about seeing
Alex Trebek than discuss their faltering relationships. A huge and talented
cast twists in the wind, bumping into moments
of truth, sex, and passion. Some even come out all right in the end. The
accidental nature of life--a common theme in many Altman films--has never
been so maddeningly persistent, or absorbing. The score by Mark Isham with
songs sung by Annie Ross (also a cast member) fuels the moodiness, as does the
opening number in
which Medfly helicopters spray the town to the tune "Prisoner of Life."
Delivering the film a year after his biggest hit in two decades, The
Player, Altman proved his artistic tenacity as an aged artist with the
heart of a new filmmaker: he's not afraid of risking it all. --Doug
Thomas
