I adore movies in Robert Altman's style - without a single main character and where all ensemble is playing important roles. I know about Inarritu's projects and 'Crash'. Can you give me a recommendation for another movies in that style? BTW, this year Oscar-nominee, polish 'Katyń' is also most of ensemble movie.
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Posts: 196 | Location: Poland | Registered: January 05, 2008
Alan Rudolph is the closest in terms of actively trying to imitate Altman. He actually made at least one film better than anything Altman ever did (Trouble in Mind), but then so do most directors.
Paul Thomas Anderson is on the surface similar, but he has a vision that goes beyond the rabid miscogeny and sour nastiness that infects nearly everything Altman touched, as well as having a coherent narrative sense, something also far beyond Altman's abilities.
"13 Conversations About One Thing" was a stylish and very well-acted ensemble piece that is worth renting. Alan Arkin got some deserved acclaim for his role in the film as a miserable man who cannot be happy for the sucess of his fellow office workers.
"Last Night" is a very moving Canadian ensemble piece following a large number of people dealing with the day the world is going to end (despite that plot it is a drama not a sci-fi film). Sarah Oh is excellent in it.
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Posts: 12939 | Location: Phoenix, AZ | Registered: February 02, 2003
Originally posted by Egg Fu: Paul Thomas Anderson has clearly been influenced *a lot* by Robert Altman. These influences are most noticeable in 'Magnolia' especially.
PTA also acted as a secondary director for Altman's 'A Prairie Home Companion'.
Anderson was the first director that popped into my head when I read this topic. And I'm glad you mentioned Companion, because I read before the film's release that, during production, Anderson was literally on the set continuously in case Altman fell ill.
Gosh, now I need to go watch Boogie Nights and Magnolia again.
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PICTURE: Revolutionary Road DIRECTOR: David Fincher, Curious Case of Benjamin Button ACTOR: Leonardo DiCaprio, Revolutionary Road or Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon ACTRESS: Meryl Streep, Doubt or Kate Winslet, Revolutionary Road SUPPORTING ACTOR: Heath Ledger, Dark Knight or Robert Downey, Jr., The Soloist SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Amy Adams, Doubt, or Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Burn After Reading or Milk ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: Frost/Nixon, Doubt, or Benjamin Button ANIMATED FEATURE: Wall.E
Posts: 567 | Location: Right behind you. | Registered: December 07, 2007
I forgot that PTA was on the set (insurance requirement as stand-in at minumum) for Prairie.
Now I know why this film was watchable, as opposed to the disgust I feel at most of Altman's films for the reasons stated above.
And going back to Alan Rudolph and the original question - there is no director who has fashioned himself so slavishly as Altman's heir and protege (he wan an AD on a few of Altman's films before becoming a director himself.)
His body of work is Altman-lite and unlike Altman doesn't focus on degrading and humiliating his female characters (Rudolph actually has a number of standout female character/performances in his films).
Anyway, for those not familiar and who have not already checked IMDb, his features include:
Welcome to LA Remember My Name Roadie Choose Me Trouble in Mind The Moderns Love at Large Mortal Thoughts Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle Afterglow Breakfast of Champions The Secret Lives of Dentists
No one else comes as close to imitating Altman's style, although as I said, he managed to transcend it at times to make some decent films.
I've never much liked Altman but I heartily recommend Alan Rudolph's work. The first film of his that I saw was The Moderns some 20 years ago, a movie about Parisian artists & their tangled love lives, which I really liked. I haven't seen the film in years but I remember it having this languorous, sensual feel to it. The characters fall in & out of love & various crises erupt but whereas Altman's films are often irritatingly plotless & - as sean notes - the characters, especially the female ones, treated with disdain, Rudolph likes his characters & includes just enough in the way of plot elements to prevent his movies becoming arthouse bores. But the film which really stood out for me was Choose Me , in which various lost souls in LA go through their problems. From that description it likely sounds terrible but trust me - it's actually a delightfully warm, romantic movie with a great sense of humour. He's a director well worth discovering IMO.
Originally posted by seanflynn: I forgot that PTA was on the set (insurance requirement as stand-in at minumum) for Prairie.
Now I know why this film was watchable, as opposed to the disgust I feel at most of Altman's films for the reasons stated above.
And going back to Alan Rudolph and the original question - there is no director who has fashioned himself so slavishly as Altman's heir and protege (he wan an AD on a few of Altman's films before becoming a director himself.)
His body of work is Altman-lite and unlike Altman doesn't focus on degrading and humiliating his female characters (Rudolph actually has a number of standout female character/performances in his films).
Anyway, for those not familiar and who have not already checked IMDb, his features include:
Welcome to LA Remember My Name Roadie Choose Me Trouble in Mind The Moderns Love at Large Mortal Thoughts Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle Afterglow Breakfast of Champions The Secret Lives of Dentists
No one else comes as close to imitating Altman's style, although as I said, he managed to transcend it at times to make some decent films.
Even if you think Robert Altman is mysoginistic and do not like his films your posting suggests that Altman has no strong female performances and characters in his films which seems a bit ridiculous since one thing it would be hard to deny him is that he gets good performances out of people...
Examples: Ronnee Blakely, Lily Tomlin- "Nashville" Sissy Spacek, Shelley Duvall- "Three Women" Madeleine Stowe, Julianne Moore, Jennifer Jason Leigh- "Short Cuts" Shelley Duvall- "Thieves Like Us" Sally Kellerman- MASH Maggie Smith, Helen Mirren, Emily Watson- "Gosford Park"
And I could go on if I felt like it.
Posts: 12939 | Location: Phoenix, AZ | Registered: February 02, 2003
As can be seen from my post, I never made any reference to the quality of the female performances in Altman's films. I am not as much a fan of them as others might be, but my problem is with his overall tendency to mock and belittle his female characters, to objectify them and even worse do so in a degrading, negative way.
Altman was an actors' favorite because he was so undisciplined and let them often have their way and more freedom than other directors. That might work for some people, but for me it seemed far too often like friends I remember years ago at parties after a little too much pot.
The only thing that "Crash" shares with Altman's films is a large cast of characters.
There are none of his touchs of bohemianism or his trademark overlapping dialog.
If "Crash" is a film influenced by Altman, then so is "The V.I.P.s" or "Separate Tables" or "Airport" or "Ship of Fools," all films made well before Altman shaped his style.
Look at how many of Altman's movies had a scene that involved the sexual/nude exploitation of a woman:
* Sally Kellerman (MASH) * Madeline Stowe and Julianne Moore (Short Cuts) -- to say nothing of Frances McDormand's needless nudity in that film. * Gwen Welles (Nashville) * Farrah Fawcett (Dr. T and the Women) * The nude models on the runway at the end of Pret a Porter. * Geraldine Chaplin (The Wedding)
It just seemed like a common theme in Altman's work -- women naked and exposed for no good reason, but for sexual humiliation or embarassment.
Originally posted by Tallulah's Cocaine: I think that Sean Flynn has a point.
Look at how many of Altman's movies had a scene that involved the sexual/nude exploitation of a woman:
* Sally Kellerman (MASH) * Madeline Stowe and Julianne Moore (Short Cuts) -- to say nothing of Frances McDormand's needless nudity in that film. * Gwen Welles (Nashville) * Farrah Fawcett (Dr. T and the Women) * The nude models on the runway at the end of Pret a Porter. * Geraldine Chaplin (The Wedding)
It just seemed like a common theme in Altman's work -- women naked and exposed for no good reason, but for sexual humiliation or embarassment.
Or for Ms. Charles viewing pleasure! Thanks for reminding me of these sensuous delites. Must rewatch some of these delectables.
Posts: 3175 | Location: Church | Registered: July 10, 2003
Originally posted by Tallulah's Cocaine: I think that Sean Flynn has a point.
Look at how many of Altman's movies had a scene that involved the sexual/nude exploitation of a woman:
* Sally Kellerman (MASH) * Madeline Stowe and Julianne Moore (Short Cuts) -- to say nothing of Frances McDormand's needless nudity in that film. * Gwen Welles (Nashville) * Farrah Fawcett (Dr. T and the Women) * The nude models on the runway at the end of Pret a Porter. * Geraldine Chaplin (The Wedding)
It just seemed like a common theme in Altman's work -- women naked and exposed for no good reason, but for sexual humiliation or embarassment.
I don't think the nude models in "Ready to Wear" were shown as some sort of ridicule or embarassment towards women.
I saw it as a swipe against the mistreatment of women.
Posts: 4838 | Location: Illinois | Registered: June 30, 2006
I don't find anything misogynistic about Altman's female characters. I think there's a difference between portraying unlikeable women and displaying a dislike for women.
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Posts: 1132 | Location: lost but happy at sea | Registered: July 05, 2007
Many critics from MASH on have pointed out Altman's sadistic glee in embarassing his female characters and doing other disgusting things with them. I think he is the most hateful major director toward women ever. Along with his incompetent visual work, it is the thing I loathe most about his movies.
Directors from the horror genre a much more hateful towards women.
Which is why of course I used the word "major."
And there are many directors in the horror genre - F.W. Murnau, Tod Browning, Jacques Tourneur, James Whale, George Romero, numerous others - whose films are not remotely hateful to women.
