Altman

A look at the life and work of American filmmaker Robert Altman.

For anyone who loves film and its history, this is a must-see documentary. The career of Robert Altman spanned many decades and he worked with just about anyone who was anyone, making some of the greatest films of all time. Some duds, too, but that will happen.

Rather than just talking to a handful of people about their memories, this mixes in plenty of home footage, Altman's own memories, and those of his wife. While his career could fit into a much longer film, for the time frame allotted they did a great job covering his whole life and leaving us wanting more rather than opening up the possibility we could get bored.

I found this documentary a comprehensive review of Robert Altman's life's work, highlighting the director's determination to be independent of Hollywood conventions. Even though he was born in 1925, Altman was totally in sync with the following generation, the post-war baby boomers who first came of age in the 1960's. His anti-establishment stance never wavers as he thumbs his nose at the military, President Nixon, commercialism, and the election process. One of the most erudite talk show hosts Dick Cavett, a cultural icon of the youth generation, appears in the documentary, a nice touch.

Beginning as a writer of television scripts in the 1940's Altman eventually graduated to being a movie director. The movie MASH is one of the classic anti-war movies that treats it with a large dose of humour. Actors like Elliott Gould and Donald Sutherland seemed to fit the temper of those times. "Nashville" seems to reflect an unease with American culture under the silent majority of Richard Nixon who pandered to the culture of working class white people and their love of country music.

Later, Michael Murphy was tapped for the role of Jack Tanner in Tanner '88, a television show that Altman believes changed television as an entertainment medium. He also had worked with some of the best comediennes such as Carol Burnett and Lilly Tomlin. Altman cast Robin Williams as Popeye in the movie of the same name. It bombed and we are treated to Gene Shalit's review of the debacle. This movie highlighted Altman's belief that the major studios were only interested in blockbusters like Superman and Raiders of the Lost Ark.

One of his most critically acclaimed movies was Gosford Park, with some of the finest British talent available at the time. This movie went beyond the stage-like production of the Upstairs, Downstairs television show and presented a more biting picture of the British class system in a lavish production that also prefigured the success of a much later TV show Downton Abbey.

Among these and other films, we see home movies of Altman, his wife Kathryn and their children. We also see some trenchant comments from Altman himself about his career and work. The documentary gives us a great view of this highly creative American director and his work.

In 2014, a documentary about one of my favourite filmmakers was finally released. This is by no means a perfect documentary, but any film lover or fan of his work absolutely needs to see this.

Robert Altman started from the bottom of showbiz then worked his way up to directing tv shows. How? He did lots of lying. Then in 1970, he started the boom of new up and coming directors trying to make names for themselves. These new directors included Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, and George Lucas, and the movement came to be known as "The New Wave of American Cinema". The year was 1970 and Altman created the well-liked 'Brewster McCloud' and the highly acclaimed anti-war film 'M*A*S*H'. Altman's desire to explore unconventional takes for his films led to making "anti-" films. 'M*A*S*H' had no violence making it anti-war. Some of these other "anti" film included anti-western (McCabe & Mrs. Miller, my personal favourite of his), and anti-friendship (3 Women).

By the late 70s, Altman was falling into a slump when his film 'Quintet' didn't live up to expectations of his earlier masterpieces. But it was the his live action take on 'Popeye' in 1980 that ruined his film career throughout the rest of the decade. Barely getting film offers anymore, he tried directing theatre. He loved theatre just as much.

Things were looking up when he made the darkly comical satire 'The Player' in 1992. He was back on top again. Everything about that film is pitch perfect. A year later he does 'Short Cuts', one of the best epics with multiple stories ever made. The remainder of his career saw some back and forth hits with his Agatha Christie inspired 'Gosford Park' and final film project 'A Prairie Home Companion' being notable highs.

It felt to me that this documentary moved a little too fast. Rather than gliding along everything, it tried to fit into some kind of allotted time. And I also felt that they should have gone into more detail on what made Robert Altman an auteur.

So this may not be perfect, but it is definitely a movie-lover's dream come alive.

3.5/4

Robert Altman is admired amongst directors and actors, but despised amongst the producers of Hollywood. Isnt it ironic that some of his best work (The Player) is a terrific parody of all the pittfalls Hollywood digs for those trying to make a movie.

I have always wondered why there is such an admiration for him as a director, but the admiration grew out of his love for movie making and his love for the actors. And that love is being returned now. He treated his actors and his movie crew in a way few other Hollywood directors did. Robert Altman's movies seemed to be sort of a family/friends gathering of like minded spirits, who supported each other.

This guy made some terrific movies and he also made quite a few stinkers, movies that really were below par. But Robert Altman's talents never faded, his passion never faded, it was the Hollywood industry that did or did not give him the chance to film the way he wanted to, resulting in periods of success and periods of drought and failures.

I'll always remember Altman for his classic movies. And after seeing this movie I'll also will dearly remember him as a sort of a father of the actor's community. Too bad he got an early stroke, after which he finally had to give up drinking. But up untill then he lived his live to the fullest, giving us audiences worldwide several beautiful movie classics!

BRAVO !!!

Ron Mann's rather soft documentary on movie director Robert Altman, who amusingly was fired by Jack Warner from his first theatrical film (1968's "Countdown") because of Altman's desire to have the actors overlap their dialogue. Altman, who began as a TV writer, slowly worked his way into the director's chair for a variety of television programs such as "Hawaiian Eye," "Bonanza" and "Combat!" It was on the series "Whirlybirds" that he met his wife, actress Kathryn Reed, who would remain by Altman's side for the remainder of his life. Home movies and behind-the-scenes footage highlights this otherwise unenlightening piece, with a narrative that reads something like this: "Once he finished that film, Altman began his next picture. After it was completed, he began a new project." There are a few nice touches (such as critic Gene Shalit's colorful TV review of Altman's "Popeye"), but otherwise extremely little about how each of Altman's eclectic projects were perceived by the public. Apparently an absentee-father, Altman, who passed away November 20, 2006, is nevertheless praised by the family members who took part in "Altman"; still, it's a documentary with only a passing resemblance to documentaries. ** from ****