Review of A Prairie Home Companion (2006) by Jgm — 06 Jul 2006

It might help to think of this less as a traditional "movie" than as an opportunity to wander around backstage for a while during a fictionalized version of the radio program. Of course all the kids -- and some of the reviewers -- complaining "it has no plot" are missing the point (and any knowledge of Altman or film history).

[***SPOILERS***] The pleasure of an Altman film is exactly in the immersion in a non-linear, no-formula "real world" of characters with back stories, front stories, and side stories, none of which coalesce into anything in particular (sort of like real life).

In fact, the minor injections of story and "plot" provided by Jones' Axeman and the intrigue between the Kline and Masden characters here are the weakest aspect of the film, as Kelior and Altman struggle a bit to bridge the more fanciful aspects of the Guy Noir and Dangerous Woman symbol-characters with the naturalistic approach of much of the rest of the ensemble, notably Tomlin and Streep (Kevin Kline in particular seems to have stepped in from another movie altogether, which may very well be the point, except that I suspect that movie wasn't intended to be a "Pink Panther" sequel).

Kellior, acting as lynchpin but not focal point, acquits himself well (though not unexpectedly, does most of his acting with his voice). Also of note is John C. Reilly, who seems to be able to do anything and whose effortless excursion here into comedy, music, and hints of dark-edged history summarizes the whole film.