Review of Short Cuts (1993) by Lucas M — 15 Jan 2012

Goodness gracious. It's not hard to see what director Robert Altman is trying to do here, but the over 3 hour running time is the death knell for Short Cuts. There's no sense of any of the individual stories leading to a dramatic conclusion and, to be honest, none of the characters are deep enough for the audience to root for.

This feels like a vanity project, a way for a cadre of stars to work with a legendary director. Fine, whatever. But the disconnected feeling Altman is going for doesn't have nearly enough oomph to sustain 184 minutes.

None of the stories could sustain a 90 minute movie by themselves and we never feel anything for any of the characters. After the 90 minute mark, the rest of the film is a slog to get through. In terms of logistics and telling a coherent story.

..sure, it works. Watching these well known actors? Alright, fair enough. It's the emotion which falls flat.