SHORT CUTS
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1993 James Berardinelli
SHORT CUTS
Rating (Linear 0 to 10): 8.9
Date Released: 10/7/93 (limited); 10/22/93 (general) Running Length: 3:09 Rated: R (Full frontal nudity, mature themes, language)
Starring: Andie MacDowell, Bruce Davison, Jack Lemmon, Julianne
Moore, Matthew Modine, Anne Archer, Fred Ward, Jennifer
Jason Leigh, Chris Penn, Lili Taylor, Robert Downey Jr.,
Madeleine Stowe, Tim Robbins, Lily Tomlin, Tom Waits,
Frances McDormand, Peter Gallagher, Annie Ross, Lori
Singer, Lyle Lovett, Buck Henry, Huey Lewis
Director: Robert Altman
Producer: Cary Brokaw
Screenplay: Robert Altman and Frank Barhydt based on the writings
of Raymond Carver
Music: Mark Isham
Released by Fine Line Features
Helicopters thunder through the air over Los Angeles, raining down malathion on the city in an attempt to end the dreaded Medfly invasion. Below, in each house and apartment, an individual drama is being played out. As in any human settlement at any time in history, there is joy, sadness, jealousy, fear, reconciliation, pain, and death. With SHORT CUTS, a film by director Robert Altman based on nine short stories and one poem by the late Raymond Carver, the audience is given a glimpse into several of those dramas.
Infidelity mars two marriages, while a tragic accident to another couple's son brings their lives to an abrupt halt. A trio of fishing buddies find a dead girl's body floating near their campsite. Another marriage is troubled by a husband's uncertainty about his wife's career choice - running a phone sex business. A man decides to teach his estranged wife a little something about the real meaning of "dividing things up", and a mother and daughter discover the pain that can come from not communicating.
Twenty-two characters and ten tales - it would take a master to interweave all of these into a seamless whole. There are few directors who would tackle the challenge, and fewer still who could succeed. Not only has Robert Altman faced the Herculean task, but he has emerged victorious. SHORT CUTS is a magnificent triumph, an example that dramas can still be found that don't make use of the time-honored tactics of manipulation and oversentimentalization.
Each of the stories told in SHORT CUTS (except perhaps one) could easily warrant its own movie. There are facets of each character that are left completely unexplored and, in a sense, we're still waiting for more when the final credits begin to roll. In spite of the long running time, there's a lot left unsaid and undone by the time the movie slides into home plate.
What is impressive about SHORT CUTS is not only that it tackles so many diverse personalities and situations - and presents them well - but that it manages to interconnect them in a manner that doesn't leave the viewer shaking his head in confusion. The texture of this film is rich beyond belief, and the three hours flies by. Fans of Carver, however, should check their expectations at the door - these are in no way strict adaptations (as the change of setting from the Pacific Northwest to angst-riddled LA indicates). Altman admits that SHORT CUTS is "not a verbatim retelling of Carver's works, but rather a cinematic interpretation of their essence."
Altman has surrounded himself with an ensemble cast that includes some highly-respected names. Some of these actors he has worked with before; others are new to his fold. For the most part, the performances are solidly-executed, although there are instances of overacting. Matthew Modine, Andie MacDowell, Madeleine Stowe, and Tim Robins have moments of anger that fail to ring true. However, in the overall scope of things, this is a minor complaint.
As is almost always the case in a movie of this nature, there will be a story or two that won't interest you much, and a certain group of characters which, for one reason or another, will enthrall you. One of the strongest attributes of SHORT CUTS is that the stories occupying the "middle ground" have something compelling about them. What you choose as the best and worst of the tales will likely be based on personal experience and preference. Viewers more easily drawn to humor will enjoy those portions of the film that are comedy-oriented. For the record, my favorite sequences involve three families - the Kaisers (Chris Penn and Jennifer Jason Leigh), the Finnigans (Andie MacDowell and Bruce Davison), and the Shepards (Madeleine Stowe and Tim Robbins). The weakest portions, on the other hand, feature husband-and-wife Earl and Doreen Piggot (Tom Waits and Lily Tomlin), and the fishing expedition (Fred Ward, Buck Henry, and Huey Lewis).
In some ways, SHORT CUTS is loosely-reminiscent of last year's GRAND CANYON. In this case, the project is more ambitious and the premise less forced, but there are noticeable similarities. Doubtlessly, SHORT CUTS is the better of the two films (GRAND CANYON couldn't resist resorting to a little deft manipulation), but some of the same themes are explored, and some of the same motifs (including an earthquake) used.
Also worth mentioning are the inevitable comparisons to Robert Altman's own NASHVILLE (considered by some critics to be his best work). Both that film and SHORT CUTS are effective ensemble movies, even if some of the things that they try to do are different. For those that got hooked on Altman with THE PLAYER, however, beware - this movie bears little resemblance to 1992's biting satire.
Some controversy has been stirred up about SHORT CUTS' inclusion of apparently-gratuitous nudity. Madeleine Stowe and Frances McDormand bear their breasts, Lori Singer leaps into a pool in the buff, Julianne Moore argues with her husband without a stitch on below the waist, and Huey Lewis urinates with the camera watching him from the front. While it's clear that all of these scenes could have been filmed differently (and more discreetly), director Altman has a decided reason for doing each the way he did. The result is certainly not titillating, and given the impact of the film, it's hard to question Altman's judgment in these instances.
It's a genuine pleasure to find a movie with such a deep and intelligent portrayal of simple human lives, with all their minor triumphs and tragedies. SHORT CUTS is a grand, and highly-successful, film because it doesn't force more on us than the kinds of things that we personally have experience with. This motion picture is an example of a highly-respected modern director in top form.
- James Berardinelli (blake7@cc.bellcore.com)
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