Review of A Prairie Home Companion (2006) by Katie M — 27 Aug 2007

I've developed a fairly intellectual interest in Altman based on the films that I've seen of his so far, but I don't think I've ever actually enjoyed a film quite as much as this one before. It had a few film conceits that were a bit odd, but being more used to Altman now they didn't really distract me from anything and I felt like it was a really fun movie. It gives the audience the feeling that the cast were having fun, but without it devolving into silliness and in-jokes (Ocean's Twelve, anyone?) That being said, I didn't find it as intellectually stimulating as the other films of Altman's I've seen. His preoccupation with death is also evident throughout the movie (little surprise there, considering) but it's more of a positive outlook, really. Kevin Kline is hilarious, as are Woody Harrelson and John C. Reilly (their 'Bad Jokes' scene is the highlight of the movie), and is there anything Meryl Streep can't do?

It's actually been a while since I saw this and since then it has really grown in my esteem. I love thinking about Altman films, usually more so than watching them.