Review of Nashville (1975) by Jason V — 06 Nov 2011

The trailer to Nashville makes a point to mention the 24 "unforgettable" characters in the film and their stories which will captivate the audience. It's great marketing, to be honest, considering close to half of the characters show up for three seconds (out of 160 minutes) and don't do anything of any interest.

The other half hold up the story-a story about country music singers, politics, marriages, understanding. With all those characters and a nearly obscene running time, it's not a wonder most of the stories feel half baked.

Just as the audience begins to get invested in the action on the screen, the momentum is stopped to focus on something else. And by the time the original story comes back, the tension has subsided. Add to that a very flimsy overarching storyline about a third party presidential candidate and it's hard to imagine why so many people hold this film in such high regard.

Which would then question the three stars I'm giving it. Why? For director Altman, who wrangles the cast and manages to make the film comprehensible. For the music. And for the sheer audaciousness of the entire enterprise.