Review of 3 Women (1977) by Leighton T — 10 Nov 2010

REALLY strange little film from the very revered Robert Altman.

One great thing about this is you will not know where this thing is going the first time you watch it. It starts off one way, makes a pretty abrupt change of direction in the second half and makes another abrupt shift at the end. Or maybe it's not abrupt.

Maybe the events of the whole film point towards the last scene in some way. I don't know. I read that Robert Altman dreamt this whole movie. Literally. The story, the setting, the costume, the cast. It all came from a dream he had one night. Makes sense, the whole movie, while coherent, has a very detached sense of reality about it.

Which brings us to the cast. Shelly Duvall.

Many wonder how in the hell she was ever able to have a career in movies. She's got an acting style that is either very good, or very poor depending on who you talk to. Definitely one of those love her or hate her kind of actresses. But she is great for this role. She plays disillusioned and sad and clueless very well. She played a more feeble version of this character a couple years later in The Shining.

Sissy Spacek is also really good as Pinky Rose, a character who has a couple of screws loose, to put it very lightly.

I've seen a few of Robert Altman's films over the years and one thing you to give him credit for is never doing the same thing twice. He has a certain style I suppose and Altman enthusiasts could probably spot his work a mile away, but the films themselves couldn't be more different. That's something I admire in a director, it keeps them fresh and exciting.

There aren't too many films like 3 Women out there and considering the while thing came from Altman's sub conscience, this is the definition of a true original and a well made, odd and entertaining experience all around.