Short Cuts [VHS] [1994]

Nashville [DVD] [1975] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC] DVD ~ Keith Carradine 5.0 out of 5 stars (3)

Fanny And Alexander [DVD] [1982] DVD ~ Bertil Guve 4.7 out of 5 stars (15)

The Player [DVD] [1992] DVD ~ Tim Robbins 4.7 out of 5 stars (3)  £4.88

Ran [DVD] [1985] DVD ~ Tatsuya Nakadai 4.2 out of 5 stars (15)  £5.98

Breathless [DVD] [1959] DVD ~ Jean-Paul Belmondo 4.5 out of 5 stars (17)  £4.98

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Amazon.co.uk Review
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 LA 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 LA, 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 nor so 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 at risking it all. --Doug Thomas

Synopsis
Using the short stories of Raymond Carver as a springboard, American maverick director Robert Altman weaves a tapestry of interlocking tales set against the seedy backdrop of contemporary middle-class Los Angeles. Tracking the various stages of denial, rage, and despair in the lives of several couples--a philandering cop and his masochistic spouse (Tim Robbins and Madeline Stowe); a helicopter pilot who gets revenge on his ex by trashing her house (Peter Gallagher and Frances McDormand); a man and woman whose perfect life falls apart when they lose their son in a hit-and-run accident (Bruce Davison and Andie MacDowell); a pool cleaner who listens in mounting frustration to his wife performing phone sex each day while tending her brood of children (Chris Penn and Jennifer Jason Leigh); a wealthy couple who are haunted by an incident from the past (Matthew Modine and Julianne Moore); an aging jazz singer and her suicidal daughter (Annie Ross and Lori Singer); an alcoholic limo driver and his waitress wife (Tom Waits and Lily Tomlin)--Altman reveals their common threads of familial dysfunction and marital discord in the unforgiving glare of the Southern California sunlight. The result is a sweeping motion picture that also stands as an important sociological artefact of late 20th century Los Angeles life.

6 Reviews 5 star:  (3) 4 star:    (0) 3 star:  (2) 2 star:    (0) 1 star:  (1)           Average Customer Review 3.7 out of 5 stars (6 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Most Helpful Customer Reviews   9 of 10 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Among my all-time top ten films!, 28 Feb 2000 By A Customer I agree with the previous reviewer: Robert Altman's 'Short Cuts' is a majestic, engrossing film - among his best movies, in my humble opinion. Even though it's three hours long and follows a wide variety of characters, it never becomes boring (unlike Paul Thomas Anderson's extremely similar recent film, 'Magnolia', which looks messy in comparison with the mastery of 'Short Cuts'). The film truly does justice to the collection of Raymond Carver short stories upon which it's based, though I was surprised to realise, when I read Carver's 'Short Cuts' collection, that the original stories weren't all interconnected. This film also features some great character acting - Tim Robbin's sleazy, corrupt policeman is perhaps the finest among some very fine roles. Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)   4 of 5 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars No Short Cuts here!, 14 Jul 2003 By  Sam (Colchester, Essex United Kingdom) - See all my reviews Absolutely top film (must have inspired 'Magnolia'). Refreshing to see the short stories of the late, great Raymond Carver successfully transfered to screen. Wonderful cast including the unforgettable Julianne Moore as naked artiste. Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)   4 of 7 people found the following review helpful: 3.0 out of 5 stars One of my favourite films of last year!, 22 Feb 2000 By  Helen (hm@hotmail.com) (Peston) - See all my reviews I don't think I can recommend this film highly enough. With an all star cast putting in some excellent acting the film is totally engrossing and when after three hours the film ends, you want it to go on even longer. Director Robert Altman skilfully interweaves the humerous, sexy, romantic and sometimes tragic stories of twenty two unforgettable characters, all inhabitants of the sprawling suburbs of Los Angeles. An assortmnet of phone sex operators, unfaithful husbands, vindictive wives, cops, bakers, pool cleaners, fishermen and incontinent dogs cross each others paths, laugh, cry and fight in this amazingly gripping slice of modern American life. Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this) Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review › See all 6 customer reviews...		Ad feedback   Most Recent Customer Reviews 1.0 out of 5 stars old rubbish. Some films age well,this does not.Its a long boring film which gets nowhere.Why a 18 certificate I will never comprehend the censor must have been drunk,probably needed to be to... Read more Published 7 months ago by N. Tate 5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic!! I bought this film because I saw about 30 minutes of it 10 years ago on tv, and wanted to see the whole thing. It's 2 hours long, but you don't notice it. Read more Published on 20 Aug 2005 3.0 out of 5 stars the most unappropriately titles film of all time It's not the sort of film I'd usually watch and from watching it I know why.Any film that has a running time of longer than 120 minutes THAT'S TWO FLIPPING HOURS normally sends me... Read more Published on 27 Jan 2004 by sammy o'leary Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews › See all 6 customer reviews...

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